News DeskDubai: Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has become the first bank in the UAE to fully activate Open Finance for live operational use under the Central Bank of the UAE’s Open Finance Initiative, AlTareq, marking a major milestone for the country’s financial services sector.
The activation has been delivered in collaboration with Central Bank–licensed third-party providers (TPPs), including Pay10 and Lean Technologies, both of which are now fully connected and operational with CBD under the national Open Finance Framework.
During the live-proving phase, CBD worked closely with its TPP partners to meet all regulatory, technical and operational requirements set by the Central Bank of the UAE. The move signals the transition of Open Finance from controlled pilot environments into live, nationwide operation.
With the framework now active, CBD’s retail current and savings account customers can securely share financial data and initiate payments through regulated, consent-based platforms. Both CBD and its partner TPPs are officially operational on Nebras, the operator of the UAE’s Open Finance infrastructure, under the Central Bank’s oversight.
Dr. Bernd van Linder, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Bank of Dubai, said the activation places CBD at the centre of a fundamental transformation in the UAE’s financial architecture.
“CBD’s full-scale Open Finance activation reflects our long-term focus on delivering seamless, digital-first customer experiences and empowering customers with greater control, transparency and choice in their financial interactions,” he said.
Harry Gill, Founder and Chairman of Pay10, said the go-live represents a tangible step in translating the UAE leadership’s Open Finance vision into real-world implementation, while maintaining the highest standards of compliance and trust.
Tewfik Cassis, Chief Product Officer of Lean Technologies, described the activation as a major milestone for the sector.
“CBD’s activation demonstrates that Open Finance is ready to operate at bank scale in a live environment under Central Bank oversight, creating the conditions for real customer adoption and long-term ecosystem growth,” he said.
CBD said it will continue working with its Open Finance partners to expand use cases, support wider market adoption and drive meaningful transaction volumes in line with the objectives of the UAE’s AlTareq Open Finance Initiative.
