Ant International has secured two licenses from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), covering Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes (Category II) and Stored Value Facilities. The approvals create a regulatory pathway for its merchant payments and cross-border account businesses to introduce services in the UAE, subject to applicable requirements. The development supports the company’s regional expansion plans across merchant acquiring, digital payments and international financial services.

Ant International Wins UAE Payments and Stored Value Licenses

Ant International has obtained Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes (Category II) and Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licenses from the Central Bank of the UAE, positioning the fintech group to pursue additional payment and cross-border financial services in the country.

The approvals are relevant to two businesses within Ant International: Antom, its merchant payment and digitisation services provider, and WorldFirst, its global account services business. According to the company, the licenses will support plans to introduce merchant acquiring and digitalised cross-border financial services in the UAE.

Leiming Chen, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president of Ant International, said the licenses mark a milestone in the company’s efforts to support the UAE fintech ecosystem. He added that Ant International intends to introduce AI-powered global payment and account solutions in accordance with the applicable regulatory framework.

The announcement does not provide a launch timetable or detailed product specifications for the proposed services.

Antom Targets Merchant Acquiring in the UAE

The Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes license is an important step toward enabling Antom to offer merchant acquiring services in the UAE. Merchant acquiring allows businesses to accept electronic payments from customers through payment cards and other supported payment methods.

Antom says its platform supports more than 300 payment methods, connecting merchants with consumers across more than 200 markets and enabling transactions in over 140 currencies. The company also offers merchant digitisation services designed to support customer engagement beyond payment processing.

Once its UAE services launch, Antom plans to use AI-integrated capabilities to help local merchants serve domestic and international customers across online and in-store channels. Such capabilities could support businesses operating across multiple markets, where payment preferences, transaction methods and customer experiences vary by location.

The license is a regulatory milestone rather than confirmation that every planned service is already live. Ant International has not specified which payment methods or AI-enabled merchant features will be available first in the UAE.

For merchants, the potential significance lies in access to payment infrastructure that supports cross-border commerce while accommodating local payment needs. Actual benefits will depend on the services launched, merchant onboarding arrangements, supported payment methods and integration with existing commerce systems.

WorldFirst Plans Digital Cross-Border Financial Services

The separate Stored Value Facilities license supports Ant International’s plans for WorldFirst, its international account services provider, to deliver digitalised cross-border financial services in the UAE.

Cross-border account services can help businesses manage international collections, payments and funds associated with overseas operations. For companies trading across borders, these functions can form part of broader financial workflows that include supplier payments, cash management and currency-related transactions.

The announcement does not specify the account features, customer eligibility requirements, supported currencies or fees that WorldFirst may offer under the new authorization. Those details will be important in determining how the planned services fit the needs of businesses operating in and through the UAE.

The licenses also build on Ant International’s existing regional payment activity through Alipay+, its unified digital wallet gateway. The company said local merchants can already accept cross-border payments from digital wallet users through Alipay+.

Ant International clarified that these existing services operate through established partnerships with locally licensed banks and acquirers, independently of the newly granted licenses. This distinction separates its existing partner-based payment arrangements from the additional activities it plans to pursue under the new authorizations.

UAE Expansion and AI-Enabled Financial Infrastructure

The approvals arrive as the UAE advances its financial-sector digitalisation agenda. For international fintech providers, regulatory authorization is a key consideration when expanding payment and stored-value services into a new market.

Ant International says it processes an average of 20 million transactions daily worldwide. Its broader portfolio includes payments and account services, embedded credit, treasury management and other financial technology solutions. The company is also developing agentic payment and account capabilities intended to support emerging forms of AI-driven commerce.

AI-powered financial services can potentially help automate selected payment and account workflows. However, the announcement does not detail the AI systems planned for the UAE, their intended applications, or any measured improvements in processing speed, cost or customer outcomes.

The new licenses provide a foundation for Ant International to pursue a broader local presence through Antom and WorldFirst. The next milestones will be the launch of specific services, clarification of customer access and product terms, and evidence of adoption among UAE merchants and businesses.

For the country’s fintech ecosystem, the development adds another international provider pursuing regulated payment and digital financial services. The commercial impact will become clearer as the company moves from licensing to service deployment.

Market Landscape

The UAE has become a focus for fintech companies seeking to expand digital payments and cross-border financial services. Operating in the market requires providers to account for the relevant regulatory framework, local partnerships and service-specific authorization requirements.

Ant International’s two licenses relate to distinct parts of its business. The Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes license supports its plans for Antom’s merchant acquiring services, while the Stored Value Facilities license underpins its intended WorldFirst account services expansion.

The company’s existing Alipay+ arrangements remain separate, operating through locally licensed banking and acquiring partners. The broader opportunity will depend on the products Ant International launches, the businesses it serves and the extent to which merchants and customers adopt the new services.

Top Insights

• Two regulatory approvals: Ant International obtained RPSCS Category II and Stored Value Facilities licenses from the CBUAE.
• Merchant payments: The RPSCS license supports plans for Antom to offer merchant acquiring services in the UAE.
• Cross-border accounts: The SVF license supports WorldFirst’s intended digital financial services expansion.
• Existing services remain distinct: Alipay+ continues to operate through established partnerships with locally licensed banks and acquirers.
• AI plans remain preliminary: Ant International intends to introduce AI-powered payment and account solutions, but has not disclosed launch dates or detailed capabilities.

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