CBD Advances Open Finance in UAE with Cross-Bank Payment Capability

Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has expanded its Open Finance capabilities by becoming the first bank in the UAE to allow customers to initiate payments from accounts held with other banks directly through the CBD mobile app.

The development follows CBD's approval from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to operate as a Third-Party Provider (TPP) under the UAE's Open Finance Initiative.

CBD first activated Open Finance in a live environment in December 2025. The latest feature gives eligible customers greater visibility and control over their finances by allowing them to view balances held with other banks and initiate payments from those accounts through the CBD app.

CBD Expands Digital Banking Capabilities

The new functionality is part of CBD's broader strategy to develop its mobile app into a central platform for managing financial services across multiple banks.

The bank said additional Open Finance services are planned for later this year, further expanding the ways customers can access and manage accounts through the platform.

Dr. Bernd van Linder, Chief Executive Officer of CBD, said obtaining TPP approval represents an important milestone in the bank's Open Finance strategy and supports the UAE's wider digital transformation agenda.

Vladislavs Mironovs, Chief Digital Officer at CBD, said the approval allows CBD to extend its mobile banking services beyond its own ecosystem. The bank is developing a platform that enables customers to securely access and manage accounts held with different banks.

Supporting the UAE's Open Finance Ecosystem

The UAE's Open Finance framework is designed to encourage innovation in financial services through secure, consent-based data sharing between licensed participants.

CBD has made Open Finance a key pillar of its digital transformation strategy. The bank has also received international recognition for its work in the sector, including two Global Economics Awards for Best Leadership in Advancing Open Finance and Leading Bank in Open Finance Implementation.

The latest development highlights the growing role of Open Finance in the UAE's digital banking landscape. By bringing account visibility and payment initiation across multiple banks into a single application, CBD is seeking to provide customers with a more connected approach to everyday financial management.