Frankfurt, Germany — October 1, 2025 — Nium and Emirates NBD have expanded their cross-border payments partnership, extending real-time payout capabilities across the Emirates NBD Group in the UAE, with a rollout in Saudi Arabia currently under consideration.
The partnership, first announced in 2024, now allows a broader base of Emirates NBD customers to access international transfers through Nium’s payments infrastructure. The expansion comes as demand continues to rise for faster and more cost-efficient remittance services across the region.
Expansion Across UAE with Saudi Rollout in Focus
The extended collaboration enables Emirates NBD to offer real-time cross-border payment services across its UAE operations. The bank is also exploring the introduction of similar capabilities in Saudi Arabia through Emirates NBD KSA.
Executives from both firms said the partnership has scaled over the past year, improving the speed and efficiency of international money movement from the Middle East to global markets. The focus remains on enhancing transaction speed, cost efficiency and accessibility for customers.
The move also strengthens Emirates NBD’s position in a market where banks are increasingly working with fintech providers to upgrade cross-border payment capabilities and compete on service quality.
Remittance Demand Drives Infrastructure Upgrades
The UAE remains one of the largest remittance markets globally, with outbound flows exceeding USD 50 billion in 2023, according to World Bank data. A large expatriate population continues to drive demand for reliable and affordable international transfers.
As a result, partnerships between banks and fintech firms are becoming more common, particularly in markets where cross-border payments represent a significant share of financial activity.
Nium, which provides infrastructure for real-time global payments, has been expanding its presence through such collaborations. Emirates NBD, one of the largest banking groups in the MENAT region, has been investing in digital capabilities to enhance its payments and retail banking offerings.
The update was announced at Sibos 2025 in Frankfurt, where Nium is showcasing developments in its global payments infrastructure.
Digital Trade Outlook’s View: Emirates NBD
Digital Trade Outlook Analysis
The expansion of the Nium–Emirates NBD partnership highlights how bank–fintech collaborations are reshaping cross-border payments in high-volume remittance markets. As demand for faster and lower-cost transfers rises, real-time infrastructure is becoming central to competitiveness. The potential Saudi rollout also signals broader regional scaling of such partnerships.
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