Richard Teng

:: Abu Dhabi Global Market, the emirate’s global financial free zone, has partnered with UAE Exchange to help startups engaged in the remittance, foreign exchange and payments business develop and deploy financial technology.

UAE Exchange and ADGM will jointly implement innovation programs emerging payments, blockchain and distributed ledgers, artificial intelligence, and P2P solutions, a statement said.

ADGM’s Regulatory Laboratory — or RegLab — is the Middle East region’s first fintech incubator where startups can benefit from a more flexible regulatory regime during the early stages of their operation, before they go on to full regulatory membership at the Abu Dhabi financial free zone.

“This strategic partnership dovetails well with ADGM’s vision to establish a vibrant and well-functioning fintech ecosystem that bolsters innovation, facilitates investment flows and supports greater growth of financial services activities,” Richard Teng, the chief executive of the ADGM regulator Financial Services Regulatory Authority, said in the statement.

“The collaboration with UAE Exchange will create a feedback loop for ADGM as a financial services regulator to fine-tune and enhance its rules and regulatory approach to financial innovation.”

“Collaboration between established financial services providers and fintech start-ups is necessary to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem. Our partnership with ADGM will nurture local fintech innovation through incubator, accelerator and academic programs,” said Promoth Manghat, the chief executive UAE Exchange. “Such partnerships will add greater depth to the financial services industry, creating additional value for customers through digitally delivered services.”

The ADGM in May chose the first batch of fintech startups — from 11 applicants — to mentor under its RegLab program, with two of those in the list coming from the UAE.

The UAE companies, Now Money, which uses mobile technology to help low-income migrant workers to access banking and remittances services, and Titanium Escrow, an automated escrow services company that seeks to bring stability to the cash cycle of small businesses, joined India’s CapitaWorld and Rubique as well as Finalytix, a US robo-advisory platform.