ruya announces strategic partnership with Ignyte to empower the UAE's Start-up ecosystem - Middle East Business News and Information
The UAE's start-up scene remains the region's most active, recording 188 funding rounds in 2024—the highest in MENA and Dubai is now recognised as one of the top five cities worldwide for FinTech.
Launched in early 2024 and licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE, ruya has quickly redefined banking with a fully Shari'ah-compliant digital platform and community centres that blend cutting-edge technology with a commitment to fairness, transparency and social responsibility. By eliminating hidden fees, minimum-balance requirements and lengthy onboarding, ruya ensures that entrepreneurs—from fintech start-ups and SME founders to freelancers and family businesses—can access the financial tools they need without friction.
Ignyte, launched under Dubai's Digital Economy Strategy by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in October 2024, has grown into the Emirates' premier ecosystem for founders, connecting more than 2,500 start-ups with mentors, investors and over 250 exclusive perks designed to drive growth and global expansion. This partnership will see ruya championing that ecosystem through co-hosted events, mentorship programmes and a branded presence across Ignyte's channels, embedding ethical Islamic finance at the heart of Dubai's entrepreneurial journey.
'For founders navigating a fast-evolving market, the fusion of digital agility and principled banking is game-changing,' said Christoph Koster, CEO of ruya. 'Our alliance with Ignyte means that ethical financing and community support go hand-in-hand, empowering the UAE's next generation of innovators to scale with confidence'.
'By partnering with ruya, we are ensuring that our founders achieve success with integrity and community support. This collaboration equips entrepreneurs with the resources to innovate while promoting a culture of sustainable growth. Together, we aim to establish a strong foundation for the UAE's rapidly growing start-up scene, driving both local and global success.' said Mohammad Alblooshi Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Innovation Hub.
Looking ahead, this strategic collaboration will not only enhance access to capital and expertise but also reinforce the UAE's vision to double its digital economy to AED 280 billion by 2031. By weaving together, the strengths of ruya's community-focused Islamic banking model and Ignyte's dynamic startup platform, the partnership exemplifies how public-private synergy can fuel sustainable growth and position the Emirates as a global leader in fintech and entrepreneurship.
For more information on how to start investing in virtual assets through ruya , please visit www.ruyabank.ae .
About ruya (رويا):
Headquartered in Ajman and launched in 2024, ruya (Ruya Islamic Community Bank LLC) is a fusion of innovative technology and the enduring principles of Islamic banking, designed for individuals and businesses alike. Licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE as a Specialised Bank, ruya delivers a seamless digital banking experience built on robust security and intuitive design. Guided by the pillars of fairness, transparency, and social responsibility, ruya is deeply rooted in the community supporting families, entrepreneurs and small businesses while fostering financial literacy and inclusion through open-door branches that serve as hubs of education and support.
For media inquiries: pr@ruyabank.ae
Website: http://www.ruyabank.ae
Twitter/X: myruyabank
Instagram: myruyabank
LinkedIn: ruya
Facebook: myruyabank
TikTok: @myruyabank
YouTube: @myruyabank
Snapchat: myruyabank
About Ignyte:
Ignyte is part of the Dubai Digital Economy Strategy under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It is a leading global start-up ecosystem that empowers founders. As a digital hub for innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship, it provides access to world-class mentors, investors, and over 250 exclusive perks and resources from leading corporates and industry partners. Ignyte aims to transform the start-up landscape and position the region as a global centre for innovation and business acceleration.
It bridges the gap between entrepreneurs and opportunities by fostering collaborations, offering tailored programmes, and facilitating access to capital. Ignyte's mission is to empower 100,000 start-ups, connect over 5,000 investors, and unite 5,000 industry-leading mentors. Key initiatives include streamlining business setup, supporting future founders, and accelerating corporate innovation.
For more details, visit www.ignyte.ae
For media inquiries: jean@ignyte.ae
Website: http://www.ignyte.ae
Twitter/X: Ignyte_AE
Instagram: @ignyte.ae
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignyte-ae/
Facebook: @ignyte.ae
YouTube: @Ignyte-ae
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mid East Info
7 hours ago
- Mid East Info
e&'s Monitoring-as-a-Service offers UAE businesses real-time infrastructure visibility and resilience - Middle East Business News and Information
Dubai, August 2025 – e& has launched Monitoring-as-a-Service (MaaS), a groundbreaking solution set to redefine infrastructure monitoring in the UAE. By enabling a new level of operational visibility and proactive management, MaaS empowers businesses across industries to ensure seamless, uninterrupted operations and greater control over their network environments. Hamad AlMarzooqi, Senior Vice President of Presales & Business Operations, e& UAE, said: 'e& has taken deliberate steps to build the capabilities required to lead the Managed Services space in the UAE. This journey has spanned every dimension necessary to deliver a benchmark MSP model for our customers. We have made substantial investments in both talent and technology to develop a robust portfolio of services across multiple domains, including the rapidly expanding Monitoring-as-a-Service. Our commitment remains clear: to provide intelligent, future-ready solutions that evolve in step with our customers' needs.' Monitoring-as-a-Service significantly enhances customers' ability to ensure business continuity by providing complete observability over their infrastructure environments. The service is managed end-to-end by e&'s experienced technical teams, who ensure clear, real-time visibility into infrastructure health. This enables clients to detect issues early, make informed decisions about resource allocation, and sustain reliable operations across their environments. Organisations across the UAE can now access a fully managed monitoring solution built to reflect the specific demands of their industry. What distinguishes this MaaS offering is its flexible, modular approach, delivered through targeted partnerships that align with the needs of different sectors. This ensures each client benefits from a solution that is both comprehensive and contextually relevant to their operations. The launch of Monitoring-as-a-Service reflects e&'s commitment to delivering practical, forward-looking solutions that strengthen operational resilience. By helping organisations maintain continuity, reduce risk, and gain deeper infrastructure insights, MaaS supports businesses across the UAE in navigating complexity with confidence. About e&: e& is a global technology group committed to advancing the digital future across markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. With the group's financial performance in 2024 showing a consolidated revenue of AED 59.2 billion and a net profit of AED 10.8 billion, e& continues to maintain its position as a financial powerhouse, reflected by its strong credit rating and solid balance sheet. Founded in Abu Dhabi over 48 years ago, e& has evolved from a telecom pioneer into a technology group. Its footprint now spans 38 countries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of innovative digital services ranging from advanced connectivity, entertainment, streaming and financial services to AI-powered solutions, cloud computing, ICT, cybersecurity and IoT platforms. The Group is structured around five core business pillars: e& UAE, e& international, e& life, e& enterprise and e& capital, each catering to distinct customer and market needs. These pillars empower e& to lead in various sectors, from telecom and digital lifestyle to enterprise services and venture investments. The ongoing strategic investments in AI, IoT, 5G and cloud services reinforce its leadership in the global technology landscape, driving the future of smart connectivity and innovation. Driven by innovation, sustainability and a commitment to digital empowerment, e& is set on creating a smarter, more connected future for individuals, businesses and communities.
Mid East Info
7 hours ago
- Mid East Info
Emirates Islamic selected as the lead cash management service provider by Kimera Group to support financial operations
Dubai, UAE, August 2025: Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, has announced that it has been mandated as the lead cash management service provider for the entire UAE financial operations of the Kimera Group. As part of the collaboration, Emirates Islamic will provide Kimera Group with a comprehensive suite of innovative digital and operational solutions, including access to its digital banking platforms businessONLINE and smartTRADE, Smart Cash Deposit Machines (SCDM), Cheque Scanning ICCS and Remote Cheque Printing, thus delivering seamless and intelligent solutions tailored to Kimera Group's specific needs. In addition, the Bank will also facilitate Payroll (Non-WPS) services and Corporate Credit Cards for the Group. Mohammad Kamran Wajid, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Islamic, said: 'We are pleased to partner with Kimera Group to deliver digital banking solutions to meet their advanced financial needs. With a focus on innovation, operational excellence, and client-centric solutions, we continue to strengthen our position as a trusted partner to corporate clients, further reinforcing our position as a key player in the UAE's banking sector.' He added: 'As a leading Islamic bank in the region, we are committed to providing our customers with digitally-first banking solutions, unlocking efficiency, convenience and empowerment. We look forward to collaborating with Kimera Group to facilitate greater business agility and improved performance, while guiding them through their digital transformation journey.' Tariq Al Ghussein, Chief Executive Officer, Kimera Group said: 'Partnering with Emirates Islamic is a strategic move in advancing Kimera Group's financial operations with state-of-the-art digital banking solutions. Their expertise and innovative platforms will enable us to enhance operational efficiency, optimise transaction management, and drive greater financial agility. This collaboration reflects our commitment to integrating best-in-class financial solutions that support our growth, strengthen our capabilities, and position us for long-term success.' About Emirates Islamic: Emirates Islamic (DFM: EIB), part of Emirates NBD Group, is a leading Islamic financial institution in the UAE. Established in 2004 as Emirates Islamic Bank, the bank has established itself as a major player in the highly competitive financial services sector in the UAE. Emirates Islamic offers a comprehensive range of Shari'ah-compliant products and services across the Personal, Business and Corporate banking spectrum with a network of 40 branches and 229 ATMs/CDMs across the UAE. In the fast-growing area of online and mobile banking, the bank is an innovator, being the first Islamic bank in the UAE to launch a mobile banking app and offer Apple Pay, as well as being the first Islamic bank in the world to launch Chat Banking services for customers via WhatsApp. Emirates Islamic has consistently received local and international awards, in recognition of its strong record of performance and innovation in banking. Emirates Islamic was recognized as 'Best Overall Islamic Bank' and 'Most Innovative Islamic Bank' at the Islamic Finance News Awards 2024. The Bank was also named the 'Most Innovative Islamic Bank' at the prestigious Euromoney Islamic Finance Awards 2024. As part of its commitment to the UAE community, the Emirates Islamic Charity Fund provides financial aid to those in need, with a focus on food, shelter, health, education and social welfare contributions.
Mid East Info
7 hours ago
- Mid East Info
Tuum Selected by Uptex Bank to Power E-Banking Expansion in Middle East and Africa - Middle East Business News and Information
Dubai, UAE – August 13, 2025 – Tuum, the leading next-generation core banking provider, has been selected by Oliver Business Development (OBD) Holding to power its newly licensed e-banking services in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) called Uptex Bank. The partnership marks Tuum's first customer in the Middle East and reinforces its strategy to support innovation-led financial institutions in fast-growing, regulated markets. Following the recent acquisition of its e-banking license, OBD is launching Uptex Bank, a suite of digital wallet and payment services designed to unify its growing financial ecosystem. This includes Uptex Broker, a forex and CFD broker in MEA, and Rizzbees, its EU-licensed Crypto Exchange Platform. The new proposition will run on Tuum's modular, cloud-native core, deployed via AWS in Europe and purpose-built for scalability, compliance, and rapid go-to-market. Uptex Bank was looking for a partner who could help them deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in a very short timeframe without compromising on scale or regulatory readiness. Tuum's approach as a true partner, rather than a vendor, was key to making this possible. 'We're building a unique e-money proposition that brings together traditional and next-gen financial services into one seamless ecosystem,' said Archie Sol, Chief Marketing Officer. ' Tuum stood out as the platform to help us achieve this vision. From their sleek technology to the responsiveness of their team, it was clear that they're not just a vendor—they're a partner. With Tuum, we're not only launching fast, we're building for scale. Uptex Bank is built for people tired of the old way banks treat them. From Gen Z and digital-first users to everyday customers seeking something faster, fairer, and more intuitive. With Tuum's flexible, API-first platform, we're creating a banking experience that's modern, human, and built for how people live now, not how banks used to operate.' Crucially, Tuum's API-first infrastructure allows Uptex Bank to seamlessly integrate its new e-banking services with its existing brokerage and crypto exchange, enabling a unified, interoperable financial environment across its brands. The solution is fully aligned with Oman's regulatory framework, including requirements from the Central Bank of Oman and the Capital Market Authority. Tuum's technology will also enable OBD to support digital wallets and multi-currency payments (USD, EUR, GBP, AED, OMR, SAR) from day one. The group expects to onboard more than 50,000 users in its first year, with millions of transactions anticipated across its fintech portfolio. Uptex Bank selected Tuum through a competitive process, with speed, scalability, and regulatory readiness emerging as key differentiators. With an MVP launch planned within months, Tuum's ability to move fast while delivering enterprise-grade control gave Uptex Bank the confidence to move forward. Beyond the core platform, Tuum also worked closely with Uptex Bank to bring together the right ecosystem partners for the initiative ensuring each aligned with Uptex Bank's specific use cases and business model. 'This is a landmark win for Tuum,' said Miljan Stamenkovic, Chief Revenue Officer at Tuum. ' It shows the rising demand for modern, modular core banking platforms in the Middle East. OBD is building an ambitious and truly differentiated proposition in Oman and we're proud to provide the infrastructure behind it.' -Ends-
