African fintechs are using Dubai and the wider Gulf to scale remittances, licences, and fundraising, as GCC capital and migrant flows grow.
African fintechs are increasingly treating Dubai and the wider Gulf as a base for cross-border payments, remittances, and fundraising.
African fintechs are moving into the Gulf, with Dubai becoming a common entry point. The shift is being driven by remittances, regulatory access, and investor capital.
Several companies are already on the ground. Egypt’s Halan has entered the UAE with salary-financing products, which are loans repaid directly from wages. Paymob has secured a full UAE Central Bank licence, meaning it can legally provide regulated payment services in the country, and it operates across the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Nigeria’s Innovate1Pay has reportedly run global operations from Dubai since 2019. Flutterwave is also preparing to establish a UAE presence after expanding into Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Remittances are a major pull. Tech In Africa estimates 3 to 5 million African migrants live and work across GCC countries, often sending money home through channels that charge about 8% to 9% per transaction. The World Bank pegged total remittances to Africa at $109 billion in 2024, with roughly a third coming from Gulf states. Much of this still happens in cash, which creates room for digital alternatives.
Ghana’s Zeepay is positioning the UAE as its Gulf entry point. Rather than opening an office immediately, it is pursuing partnerships with payment providers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to test demand for new Africa-focused remittance corridors.
The Gulf is also attractive for funding. The report points to $1.5 billion raised by African fintechs across 150 deals in 2025, with GCC sovereign wealth funds and family offices becoming more active. It also notes moves like Moove raising a $30 million sukuk in Dubai in 2022, which is an Islamic finance bond.
Watch for more UAE licensing wins, deeper partnerships with Gulf payment networks, and lower-cost remittance products. As African fintechs expand beyond payments into SME credit and digital banking, Gulf links may become a standard part of global scaling plans.
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