Ziina - UAE FinTech

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Ziina
Native name
زينة
Company typePrivate
IndustryFinancial services
FoundedJanuary 2020; 6 years ago (2020-01)
FoundersFaisal Toukan, Sarah Toukan, Andrew Gold
HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
ServicesDigital payments, peer-to-peer transfers, payment links, QR code payments, Tap to Pay
Websitewww.ziina.com

Ziina (زينة) is a private fintech company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, founded in 2020. It offers digital payments services for consumers and businesses, including peer-to-peer transfers, payment links, QR and NFC (Tap to Pay) acceptance, and a payment gateway for SMEs. The company holds a Stored Value Facility (SVF) license issued by the Central Bank of the UAE.

History

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  • January 2020: Founded by Faisal Toukan, Sarah Toukan, Talal Toukan, and Andrew Gold[1][2]
  • May 2020: App launched, secured $850K pre-seed round led by Class 5 Global[3]
  • June 2021: Raised $7.5M seed round led by Avenir Growth Capital[4]
  • March 2022: App Receives Red Dot Design Award, staying true to Ziina's Arabic name, which translates to "a thing of beauty"[5]
  • August 2022: Introduces "ZiiBoard", a keyboard for generating payment links on social media.[6]
  • December 2022: Appointed official payment partner for ComicCon Middle East.[7]
  • May 2023: Introduced its payment gateway, enabling SMEs to accept online card payments via website integrations.[8]
  • October 2023: Gateway capability expanded to accept up to 10 different currencies and Arabic version of the app added. [9]
  • August 2024: First venture-backed company in the UAE to become licensed by The Central Bank of the UAE [10][11]
  • September 2024: Raised US $22 million in Series A funding led by Altos Ventures.[12]
  • April 2025: Launched Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, allowing merchants to accept contactless payments via smartphone.[13]
  • July 2025: Entered partnership with Dubai CommerCity free zone to offer SMEs services such as instant transfers, payment links, NFC Tap to Pay, multi-currency virtual IBANs, and a co‑branded bank card.[14]
  • October 2025: Partnered with Dubai's Meydan Freezone to become the payment provider of choice for member businesses.[15]

Products

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Ziina is known for the following products and services available to businesses and consumers in the UAE:

  • Peer‑to‑peer wallet: Enables instant money transfers using mobile numbers, with no IBAN or SWIFT code necessary.[16]
  • Payment links: Shareable links for use on social media and messaging platforms.[17]
  • Payment gateway: Integrated checkout solutions for SMEs accepting cards online, supporting multiple currencies. [17]
  • In‑person acceptance: Tap to Pay on iPhone, Tap to Pay on Android, as well QR code payments. [18]
  • Multi‑currency settlement: Up to ten currencies supported on gateway transactions. [19]
  • Ziina Business Card (upcoming): A payment card integrated with the wallet for expense tracking & supplier payouts.[20]
  • Other products include Invoicing features, multi-user access, custom API integrations, oath sign-in, and embedded checkout

References

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