Banking
UAE — Banking: Online Banks
Wio Bank, launched 2022 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, is a fully licensed digital-first bank backed by ADQ, Alpha Dhabi Holding, e&, and First Abu Dhabi Bank; it serves 250,000+ retail and 120,000+ business clients, and in January 2026 launched the UAE's first dedicated content-creator business account (free 12-month account, no minimum balance, automated invoicing, unlimited virtual cards, multi-currency balances, guaranteed AED/USD rate). Liv (launched 2017, owned by Emirates NBD) targets younger, digitally savvy professionals and has close to half a million users; its March 2025 Liv X upgrade added crypto buy/sell/trade alongside everyday banking and transfers. Mashreq Neo (digital arm of Mashreq Bank) is most competitive on savings rates. Overall in 2026, Wio leads for business banking, Liv X leads for personal/lifestyle banking, and Mashreq Neo leads for savings rates.
Key facts
- Wio Bank: Abu Dhabi-based digital-first bank, 250,000+ retail and 120,000+ business clients; leads for business banking.
- Liv (Emirates NBD-owned): ~500,000 users, targets younger professionals; Liv X (2025) added crypto trading.
- Mashreq Neo: most competitive on savings rates among UAE digital banks.
- Wio launched the UAE's first content-creator business account in January 2026 (no minimum balance, multi-currency, guaranteed FX rate).