September 23, 2025 | Dubai, UAE: In the UAE’s fast-moving banking world, the launch of Aani platform means you can now transfer money online using just a mobile number in less than 10 seconds. With this development, sending cash becomes simpler than ever. The Aani platform is changing how UAE residents think about transfers, instant, secure, and often no fees.
Ever wondered if you could transfer money online without asking for someone’s IBAN, account number or lengthy details? With Aani , that’s exactly what’s happening. Because this system lets you send to a recipient simply via their phone number, you skip the usual back-and-forth. It’s friendly banking made friction-free.
Here’s how Aani works, what you need to know to use it, and why this is a big deal for anyone in UAE wanting to transfer money online quickly.
What Is Aani Platform?
The Aani platform is an instant payments service operated by Al Etihad Payments, which is a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE. Its goal: let any domestic transfer be done in seconds, using just a mobile number. No need for IBAN or detailed bank account data. Legal, licensed banks and financial institutions in the UAE are part of it.
With Aani, you can also request money, split bills, and even soon pay via QR codes in stores. All this while enjoying the speed and safety that modern digital banking promises.
How to Use Aani to Transfer Money Online
If you want to use Aani platform to send money, here are the steps:
- Enrol via your bank app (one of the participating banks) or via the dedicated Aani app. Link your mobile number, verify your identity (Emirates ID etc.), and select which bank account you want funds to come from.
- Once enrolled, go to your bank’s transfer or payments section, pick the option to send using mobile number, and select the contact you want (from phone book) or manually enter their number.
- Enter amount (within allowed limit), confirm via PIN, biometrics or other security check, and hit send. The money shows up in under 10 seconds.
Limits matter: you can only send up to AED 50,000 per transaction using Aani through many banks. Also, transactions are purely domestic and in UAE dirhams.
Which Banks & Institutions Support Aani Platform
Not every bank is live yet, but a growing number are. Big names like ADCB, ENBD, Finance House, and others are onboard. Minor banks and financial institutions are integrating too.
Getting started is usually very simple. If your bank supports Aani, you’ll find an “Enroll in Aani” or “Instant Payments / mobile number transfers” toggle in your mobile banking app. Once activated, your mobile number becomes your transfer identity.
Benefits & Things to Know
What’s Good:
- Speed: Transfer money online in about 10 seconds via Aani platform is often faster than many traditional wire transfers.
- Convenience: Using mobile numbers removes a lot of friction. No one needs to share IBAN or account numbers.
- Accessibility: Lots of people already have mobile numbers; linking to a bank account is mostly straightforward.
- Features: Splitting bills, requesting money, and future QR-based payments all built in.
What to Watch Out for:
- Only domestic transfers: you can’t use Aani to send money outside UAE.
- Limits: There’s a ceiling on how much you can send per transaction or per day through participating banks.
- Must enrol: If recipient or sender is not registered with Aani via their bank, the transfer won’t go through.
- No reversal once the transaction completes: since the process is instant, mistaken number or wrong contact identity can be hard to fix.
Why It Matters
For everyday life, paying friends back, splitting dinner bills, sending allowance, or covering emergency expenses, this means no waiting, no chasing bank details. The launch of Aani is improving financial inclusion, making small transfers smoother.
For expatriates or those with family here, transfer money online becomes less of a chore and more of a click. For businesses, even street-side shops and small merchants, being able to accept payment via mobile or QR codes modernises the payment ecosystem.
