Deem Finance and airpay partner to expand SME access to purpose-led lending in the UAE

Deem Finance LLC, a purpose-led financial services provider committed to enabling the progress of underserved segments in the UAE, has announced a strategic partnership with airpay Technologies Limited, a global digital platform enabling seamless commercial, services, and payment ecosystems.

The collaboration enables airpay to extend Deem’s Merchant Financing solutions directly to its customer base, helping SME owners access finance at the point of need — faster, more intelligently, and with greater control.

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This partnership marks an important chapter in Deem’s SME growth strategy, focused on co-creating value with ecosystem “enablers and embedders” that support the everyday journeys of entrepreneurs — from managing turnover cycles to seizing time-sensitive opportunities while reinforcing Deem’s position as a trusted partner for embedded credit solutions.

SMEs account for more than 94% of businesses in the UAE and form the backbone of job creation, supply-chain resilience, and economic diversification. Yet access to finance remains one of their most persistent barriers to growth.

Through the partnership, airpay will refer qualified SMEs to Deem, leveraging its ecosystem capabilities to connect founders more closely with the financial support they need. Deem will provide liquidity and short- to medium-term lending solutions designed around real SME cash-flow dynamics, rather than legacy credit models.

"SMEs are not just businesses; they are families, communities, and the lifeblood of economic resilience," said Christopher Taylor, CEO of Deem Finance. "This partnership reflects our belief that financial access should meet entrepreneurs where they are — delivered at the pace they operate and aligned with the purpose that drives them. By combining innovative ecosystems with responsible finance, we enable founders to transform resilience into progress."

Under the agreement, airpay and Deem have committed to a partnership model that supports responsible distribution, shared performance outcomes, disciplined lending, and long-term portfolio health.

Saurabh Arora, regional vice president of airpay, added: "airpay was built on the belief that technology should remove barriers, not replace human ambition. By partnering with Deem, we are creating a pathway for SMEs that are often overlooked but too important to ignore. Together, we’re making access to finance smarter, faster, and more inclusive for the people building tomorrow’s businesses."

The partnership supports the UAE’s national vision for a digitally enabled, diversified economy — one where entrepreneurs can innovate with confidence, backed by access to liquidity that fuels momentum, opportunity, and sustainable growth.

For more information, visit: www.airpay.co.in