The integration enables near real-time card-to-account funding for brokerage clients, expanding capital-markets use cases on Emirates NBD’s payment gateway
Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, has announced that International Securities LLC, the UAE based brokerage firm, is now live on Emirates NBD Pay using Visa’s Account Funding Transaction (AFT) model, which allows clients to fund their trading accounts through secure, card-to-account transfers, with near real-time processing.
The adoption of Emirates NBD Pay means investors using International Securities can top up their brokerage accounts directly from the broker’s portal, with transactions processed securely using established card rails. This significantly reduces funding times compared to traditional interbank transfers, enabling faster access to trading opportunities while supporting core brokerage funding flows.
International Securities is the first securities broker to be onboarded on Emirates NBD Pay under the AFT model, an important milestone in the evolution of card-based funding solutions for capital markets in the region. With AFT now live on its payment gateway, Emirates NBD has established a scalable, production-ready framework that can be extended to additional brokers and adjacent investment and wallet use cases.
The launch of the new product is in line with the growing demand for faster, more seamless digital funding experiences across the investment ecosystem, as financial institutions continue to enhance infrastructure that supports efficiency, security and scale.
Commenting on the announcement, Anith Daniel, Group Head of Transaction Banking Services at Emirates NBD, said:“The onboarding of International Securities on Emirates NBD Pay using the AFT model reflects our commitment to advancing digital payment capabilities across the investment landscape. By enabling near real-time, card-based funding for brokerage accounts, we continue to support faster market participation while ensuring secure, scalable processing, aligned with global payment standards. Emirates NBD will continue to invest in next-generation payment capabilities that enable more connected, responsive financial infrastructure that supports evolving investor expectations and new market models.”Ayman Hamed, CEO of International Securities, added: “We are glad to be the first broker to go live on Emirates NBD Pay using Visa’s AFT model. This marks our commitment to make life easier for our clients. With this collaboration, clients can now fund their trading accounts faster through a secured method by using their debit cards, which will speed the process and give them access to market opportunities. This is one of the steps we are taking to move forward in our digital journey, and we are excited about what’s next as we continue to enhance our platform and deliver smarter, more seamless experiences for our investors.”
