Today, Alaan , the UAE’s leading expense management platform, announced the launch of an integrated smart business bank account, powered by Roya Islamic Bank. With this launch, Alaan becomes the first fintech company in the region to integrate corporate cards, local and cross-border supplier payments, invoicing automation, and accounting into a unified, fully AI-powered platform.

This step comes as a key pillar in the company’s vision to build a financial operating system for all modern companies in the region, one month after the platform committed to allocating AED 3 million to support companies in the UAE by paying their utility and communications bills.

The new account allows companies in the UAE, by relying on the “Banking as a Service” (BaaS) infrastructure of the local Islamic bank Roya, access to seamless digital banking solutions that comply with Islamic Sharia, and are directly integrated into the “Now” expense management platform.

Exceptional advantages of the new commercial bank account

• SuperPay is a payment system that allows you to pay a supplier in Dubai or a contractor in London from a single dashboard, with local transfers within the UAE and cross-border payments to more than 40 countries, with no fees for international transfers.
• One-to-one entry without rewriting: AI technology reads invoices "now" as soon as they arrive via email or are uploaded, automatically extracting supplier data, VAT, due date, and item details, while also detecting duplicate invoices to avoid double payment.
• Integrated approval and accounting processes: Invoices are automatically routed to the person concerned with approval with a full audit record, and payments are directly synchronized with major accounting platforms such as Odoo , Zoho , Xero , QuickBooks , and others.
• Receive your payments too: Businesses can receive customer payments into the same account that manages their outgoing cash flows.
• Unlimited users and unlimited cashback: All team members can join the same account, benefiting from unlimited local and international cashback on every dirham spent via corporate cards.
• Digital banking services powered by Roya Local Islamic Bank: Roya Local Islamic Bank’s “Banking as a Service” infrastructure enables businesses to benefit from Sharia-compliant account services, incoming and outgoing payments, and direct banking capabilities within the “Now” platform, providing a seamless and integrated financial experience.

Commenting on the launch, Parthi Duraisami, co-founder and CEO of Now, said: “For decades, finance teams in the UAE have faced complex manual procedures to complete payments. With the launch of this account, a supplier invoice that used to take hours to process is now fully completed in minutes. Businesses in the UAE deserve a sophisticated platform that automates manual tasks and puts their growth and prosperity first.”

This launch comes at a time when the UAE's commercial banking sector is undergoing its biggest transformation in a generation; the country saw 250,000 new companies join in 2025 alone, bringing the total number of companies in the Middle East to more than 1.4 million, many of which are moving from traditional banks to AI-based platforms first.

Since its launch in 2022, Al Aan has successfully established itself as one of the strongest fintech companies in the region, recently closing a $48 million Series A funding round led by Peak XV Partners . The platform is trusted by over 3,000 finance teams at prominent institutions such as G24 , Careem, Tabby, McDonald's, and Al Barari.

Christoph Koster, CEO of Roya Local Islamic Bank, stated: “This partnership aligns directly with one of the bank’s core pillars, which is supporting and empowering businesses by providing simple, ethical, and needs-centric banking services. Through our collaboration with the platform, we will enable businesses in the UAE to access seamless, Sharia-compliant digital banking services within the technological tools they already use every day. This is a prime example of how embedded finance solutions can remove operational obstacles, enhance efficiency, and help businesses focus entirely on achieving growth.”

Disclaimer: The "Now" business account is issued by "Roya Local Islamic Bank", which is a licensed bank regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011.

About " Alaan"

Now is the largest and most comprehensive expense management platform in the Middle East. Now cards are used by over 3,000 medium and large corporate clients, collectively employing more than 200,000 people across diverse sectors such as real estate, aviation, logistics, and retail. Now’s AI-powered corporate cards, developed exclusively for Now, have helped companies save millions of dirhams, empowering finance teams seeking a time- and money-saving technology for their organizations.

Launched in 2022 in the UAE, "Now" is supported by the global business incubator " Y Combinator ", and has been ranked as the number 1 expense management platform by the "G2" platform in the Middle East and Africa region.

About "Roya Local Islamic Bank ":

Headquartered in Ajman, Roya Local Islamic Bank was launched in 2024 as a unique model combining innovative technological solutions with the established principles of Islamic banking, specifically designed to meet the aspirations of both individuals and businesses. As a specialized bank licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE, it offers a seamless digital banking experience based on advanced security standards and an innovative, simple, and clear design. Guided by the pillars of fairness, transparency, and social responsibility, the bank is deeply rooted in the community, contributing to the support of families, entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is also committed to promoting financial literacy and inclusion through its "open door" branches, which serve as integrated knowledge centers aimed at educating and supporting all members of society.

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