Ant International secures UAE retail and stored-value licences to expand merchant payments

Ant International has been granted two payments licences by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) — a Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes (RPSCS) Category II licence and a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence — according to a report by Fintech News Middle East link. The RPSCS licence paves the way for Antom, Ant International’s merchant payment and digitisation services provider, to launch merchant acquiring in the UAE. The SVF licence enables WorldFirst, the firm’s global account service provider, to offer cross-border financial services locally.

The CBUAE gave in-principle approval for both licences in August 2025, a prerequisite for full issuance. Ant International says Antom supports more than 300 payment methods and links merchants to consumers in over 200 markets. Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President Leiming Chen said the company will launch AI-powered global payment and account solutions to make cross-border payments and financial management more accessible.

Alipay+, Ant International’s wallet gateway, already lets local merchants accept cross-border payments from digital-wallet users through partnerships with licensed UAE banks and acquirers, operating independently of the new licences.