Al Etihad Payments Partners with Montran for Global Instant Payment Integration Initiative

Al Etihad Payments Collaborates with Montran for Global Instant Payment System

In a significant advancement for the financial landscape of the United Arab Emirates, Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a subsidiary of the UAE Central Bank and the operator of Aani—the national instant payment platform—has partnered with Montran Corporation to develop a sophisticated International Remittance Platform (IRP) gateway. This strategic initiative marks a milestone in facilitating seamless cross-border payment connectivity with national instant payment systems from around the world, aligning with the UAE's vision for a future-proof and interoperable financial infrastructure.

Aiming for Cross-Border Expansion

AEP aims to broaden Aani's functionalities beyond UAE's borders as a part of its strategic roadmap encapsulated in the National Payment Systems Strategy. Nevertheless, the vast array of standards and formats utilized by foreign systems has posed substantial technical and operational challenges towards ensuring interoperability. In particular, the need for real-time operations round the clock alongside differing compliance and settlement frameworks, along with cumbersome manual forex and pre-funding processes, has further complicated the integration of cross-border payments.

To navigate these challenges, AEP has opted for Montran's IRP gateway solution. This unified platform bridges licensed financial institutions in the UAE with Aani and international instant payment infrastructures seamlessly. Notably, the IRP gateway consolidates multiple bilateral protocols into a single standard, supports ISO 20022, enables real-time message conversion, and embraces open API interoperability. Furthermore, it incorporates rule-based routing, forex business management, pre-funding, and settlement functions, characterized by real-time processing, security, and complete regulatory compliance.

With this integration, UAE licensed financial institutions will be empowered to send and receive cross-border instant payments more efficiently, while AEP will maintain comprehensive operational control and transparency over the remittance processes.

Phase One: Collaboration with India's UPI

The initial phase of the initiative will see the IRP gateway integrated with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), leveraging Montran's established expertise as a certified partner of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and its successful track record of integrations with leading Indian banks. Montran's global experience in developing instant payment infrastructures for central banks and regulatory bodies played a decisive role in this partnership.

“We take pride in supporting AEP’s mission in creating a boundless real-time payment ecosystem,” stated Matt Walsh, General Manager of Montran MENA. “Our IRP Gateway enables national systems to connect across borders—securely, efficiently, and at scale.”

About Montran

Montran stands as a leading provider of payment and capital market infrastructure solutions, serving prominent financial institutions with mission-critical operations across more than 90 countries. For more details, visit www.montran.com.

About Al Etihad Payments

Al Etihad Payments represents the national payment authority established by the Central Bank of the UAE in 2023, aiming to develop and operate a world-class financial market infrastructure. AEP spearheads the implementation of the UAE's national payment system strategy and oversees the Aani instant payment platform.