Mastercard & CredibleX to Transform SME Financing in the UAE
The partnership enables faster underwriting, improves risk management, and enhances credit assessment beyond old models.
Mastercard has partnered with Abu Dhabi-based fintech CredibleX to improve small and medium enterprise (SME) financing in the UAE. By integrating Mastercard's Small Business Credit Analytics (SBCA) with CredibleX's embedded lending platform, the partnership will enable faster underwriting, enhance risk management, and improve credit assessments beyond traditional models. This marks the first initiative of its kind in the region, leveraging Mastercard's data-driven insights to expand SME access to credit.
Founded in 2023, CredibleX provides embedded financing solutions for SMEs, offering access to credit options such as fixed-term loans, invoice financing, and accounts receivable loans—without requiring personal guarantees. In December 2024, the company secured AED 200 million (approximately USD 55 million) in equity and debt funding.
Mastercard's SBCA solution helps lenders make better-informed decisions by analyzing anonymized transaction data, cash flow, and revenue trends—rather than relying solely on traditional credit history. This data-driven approach allows lenders to offer tailored credit solutions and better loan terms to SMEs, particularly those with limited credit history or formal documentation.
This partnership reinforces Mastercard's presence in the EEMEA region, complementing recent collaborations with MTN Mobile Money Limited, Emirates NBD, and Sadad. Mastercard's value-added services revenue grew 16% year-over-year in Q4, with projected low-double-digit growth for 2025.
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