The Banking Executive Magzine - July 2025 Issue

Dubai abling faster account openings, sim- pler regulatory compliance, and smoother access to banking services. The DUL platform, launched in 2023 to further improve the ease of doing business in Dubai, provides a cen- tralised digital identity for businesses across Dubai’s mainland and free zones. By consolidating accurate, real-time licensing data, it reduces duplication, accelerates service de- livery, and strengthens compliance processes for both government and private sector stakeholders. Through this unified platform, businesses can access their verified data instantly and securely, streamlining interac- tions with regulators, financial insti- tutions, and service providers. Enhancing data integration between DBLC and Emirates NBD, while ac- celerating setup for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the bank’s Business Banking cus- tomers (BuB), the collaboration aligns with the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033 and to further consolidate its position as a leading global destina- tion for business and leisure. Since its initial integration, Emirates NBD has also established connectiv- ity with all Dubai-based licensing au- thorities on the DUL platform, including DMCC, Meydan, and DAFZA. In March 2025, Emirates Is- lamic, part of Emirates NBD Group, was successfully onboarded, further expanding integration across the banking ecosystem. The bank is now progressing with an enhanced rollout using DBLC’s newly extended dataset that incorporates an addi- tional 275 data fields, improving ac- curacy and consistency across its systems. Ahmad Khalifa AlQaizi AlFalasi, CEO of Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC), said: “Our partnership with Emirates NBD reflects the strength of the Dubai Unified License as a catalyst for business efficiency and for Dubai’s broader aspiration of creat- ing an even stronger investor-friendly environment. By enabling faster on- boarding, real-time licence remedia- tion, and seamless integration with financial services, the DUL is deliv- ering on the priorities set out in the D33 Agenda to build a truly digital- first, globally competitive economy. Under Dubai’s visionary leadership, we are committed to forming more such collaborations that will attract investment, foster innovation and se- cure our city’s position as a world- leading hub for trade and enterprise.” Marwan Hadi, Group Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, said: “Dubai contin- ues to draw global businesses and in- vestors, driven by its resilient economy and ongoing efforts to ad- vance strategic economic initiatives that shape a distinctive business landscape; in a further testament to this progress, the city recorded a GDP of AED119.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 4% in- crease compared to the same period in 2024.” ISSUE 199 JULY 2025 the BANKING EXECUTIVE 31