Aref Al Ramli Appointed CEO of Ethihad Payments to Strengthen UAE”s Digital System
A New Leadership for a Strategic Phase
Ethihad Payments, fully owned by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the operator of the national payments infrastructure, has announced the appointment of Aref Al Ramli as its Chief Executive Officer, effective November 2. This appointment aims to drive the future expansion of national payment platforms and increase their adoption among individuals, businesses, and financial institutions across the UAE.
Record Growth for the "Aani" Platform
The appointment comes at a time of remarkable growth across the company's platforms. Data reveals that the "Aani" instant payments platform reached 14.7 million registered users during 2026. Furthermore, the platform processed over 192 million instant transactions, totaling AED 545 billion in value.
Over 24 Years of Financial Services Expertise
Al Ramli joins Ethihad Payments with more than two decades of experience in the financial and banking sector, having most recently served as the Chief Digital Officer at Al Hilal Bank. His career includes prominent leadership positions:
UAE Digital Wallet: Served as CEO, leading a joint payment initiative involving 16 banks to accelerate the transition toward a cashless economy.
Mashreq Bank: Led the digital banking and innovation division, overseeing the launches of "Mashreq Neo" and "Mashreq NeoBiz."
UAE Banks Federation: Chaired the Digitization Committee (2017–2020), collaborating with member banks, the Central Bank, and government bodies on sector-wide digital initiatives.
Future Vision and Strategic Partnerships
The new CEO's priorities focus on broadening partnerships with banks and payment service providers, leveraging the company's three main national platforms:
"Aani": The instant payments platform enabling real-time money transfers.
"Jaywan": The national card scheme supporting retail payments across digital and physical channels, backed by key partnerships with Mastercard and UnionPay International.
"UAE Switch": The national card switch responsible for processing domestic card transactions across financial institutions.
Leadership Vision and Next Steps
Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri (Chairman of the Board of Directors): Emphasized that the UAE’s economic ambitions require a dependable payments infrastructure. He noted that Al Ramli's extensive experience equips him to lead the company's next phase of growth and enhance adoption rates nationwide.
Aref Al Ramli (Incoming CEO): Stated that his core objective is to make the company's platforms an essential part of daily transactions for individuals and businesses in the UAE by building on national investments, fostering strong partnerships, and delivering clear value to customers.