ADIB becomes UAE’s first bank licensed to operate as Open Finance Provider under AlTareq initiative

ABU DHABI, 16th April, 2026 (WAM) — Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has become the first bank in the UAE to be licensed as a Third Party Provider (TPP) or Open Finance Provider under the UAE Central Bank Open Finance AlTareq initiative.

This milestone marks a significant step in ADIB’s transformation journey and 2035 vision to build the bank of the future.

The TPP license enables ADIB to securely aggregate customer permissioned account data from other banks, giving customers a consolidated view of their finances through a single, trusted ADIB interface. Built on explicit customer consent and strong data protection standards, this capability reflects ADIB’s commitment to innovation and more seamless digital banking.

The milestone also supports the Central Bank of the UAE’s 2023–2026 strategy to advance a more connected and customer-centric national digital ecosystem. It builds on ADIB’s early adoption of Open Finance, as ADIB was among the first in the UAE to introduce Open Finance, demonstrating its commitment to continually enhancing customer experience through innovation, strong partnerships, and seamless digital banking.

Through AlTareq Open Finance initiative, ADIB plays a dual role within the evolving financial ecosystem. As a regulated bank, ADIB continues to act as a trusted custodian of customer accounts and financial data, safeguarding information in line with the Central Bank of the UAE’s regulatory standards.

This includes enabling secure data sharing through approved APIs, strictly governed by customer consent, strong authentication and robust data protection controls.

In parallel, ADIB’s Third Party Provider (TPP) license enables the bank to extend its capabilities beyond traditional banking boundaries. As a licensed TPP, ADIB can enhance its digital channels by enabling customers to view and manage accounts held with other banks. This account aggregation capability provides customers with a consolidated view of their finances, simplifying financial oversight and decision making while ensuring full transparency, control and consent.

Customers will benefit from seamless integration across accounts, improved automation and more efficient data consolidation, simplifying financial oversight. In addition, access to aggregated, customer permissioned financial data enhances ADIB’s ability to better understand customer behaviour, tailor solutions and identify new opportunities.

Al Tareq Open Finance is an initiative that, with the customer’s explicit consent, enables the secure sharing of financial data between banks and authorised third parties such as TPPs.

Mohamed Abdelbary, Group Chief Executive Officer of ADIB, said, “Becoming the first bank licensed as a Third Party Provider under the UAE’s AlTareq Open Finance initiative is a strategic step in building the bank of the future. It enables us to deliver more connected, faster and more personalised solutions for our customers, while maintaining the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance.”

More recently, the UAE recorded an important milestone in digital transformation with the launch of the AlTareq initiative , which allows licensed financial institutions to deploy Open Finance officially and securely. This positions the UAE alongside global leaders in building advanced, data-driven financial ecosystems.