Network International and Mastercard Launch Network MAX to Boost UAE SME Cash Flow

Network International has launched Network MAX in the UAE, a suite of business card solutions developed in partnership with Mastercard. For fintech professionals, this move signals a deepening of the digital-first liquidity ecosystem in the Middle East, specifically targeting the cash flow bottlenecks that frequently stifle SME growth in emerging markets through instant settlement access.

What was announced

Network MAX is a two-tiered digital solution designed to address the specific financial pressures of the UAE’s SME sector. The first tier, accessible through the My Network business app, targets micro and small merchants who often operate on tight working capital. It addresses the critical delay between sales and settlement by providing merchants with instant access to their funds. This feature allows businesses to restock or pay suppliers immediately without waiting for traditional settlement cycles to clear, while also earning cashback on everyday business expenditures.

The second tier, Network MAX Business, is tailored for more established and growing SMEs. As these organisations scale, maintaining visibility over expenditure becomes a primary challenge. This solution enables businesses to digitise and govern expenditure, manage employee spending, and streamline financial operations. Beyond liquidity and spend management, the suite includes a range of value-added services such as educational resources, accounting solutions, and shipping support. Furthermore, the platform integrates with Network’s existing lending infrastructure, facilitating fast POS-based financing through partnerships with leading UAE banks. By combining settlements, payments, and business spend management into a single digital experience, the suite aims to reduce the reliance on manual processes and physical cash for business-to-business transactions.

"For an SME, the speed at which revenue becomes usable working capital can directly influence its ability to restock, pay suppliers and pursue the next opportunity. Serving businesses across more than 50 countries, we see how access to funds and greater control over spending can shape a company’s ability to grow. Network MAX is the innovative solution built around that need. By bringing settlements, payments, and business spend management together in a single digital experience, we are helping SMEs operate more efficiently and focus on growing their businesses."

Görkem Köseoğlu, Group Chief Customer and AI Officer at Network International.

The companies involved

Network International is a dominant force in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) payments landscape, operating across more than 50 countries. The company provides a full suite of technology-enabled payments solutions to merchants and financial institutions, acting as a primary enabler of digital commerce in the UAE. It has a long history of bridging the gap between traditional banking infrastructure and modern fintech applications for local businesses. Mastercard, a global leader in payment technology, brings its massive scale and security infrastructure to this partnership. With a presence in nearly every global market, Mastercard has increasingly focused on the EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region to drive financial inclusion and digital transformation. The collaboration leverages Mastercard's global network and Network International’s deep local market penetration to modernise the financial tools available to small businesses. This partnership is a continuation of a long-standing relationship between the two entities, aimed at shifting the region toward a more integrated digital economy.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely tracked the evolution of the UAE’s digital payment ecosystem and Mastercard's role within it. Recently, we covered how Citi and Mastercard Debut Global-First Smart Subscription Management in UAE, highlighting the region's appetite for sophisticated financial management tools. The trend of digitising business spend is also gaining momentum globally, as seen in our report on how 3S Money Launches Virtual Debit Cards to Streamline UK Business Spending. Additionally, Mastercard’s focus on integrating advanced technology into commerce was evidenced by the launch of Alchemy and Mastercard Launch AgentCard to Power Secure AI Agentic Commerce. These developments underscore a broader industry shift toward embedding financial services directly into the operational workflows of businesses to improve efficiency and transparency.

What this means

This announcement reflects a significant shift in how payment processors are moving up the value chain in the Middle East. By offering instant settlement and integrated spend management, Network International is moving beyond simple transaction processing into the realm of working capital management—a space traditionally dominated by commercial banks. This puts pressure on traditional lenders in the UAE to accelerate their own digital offerings or risk losing the primary SME relationship to fintech-led platforms. The integration of cashback and value-added services like accounting suggests that the "super-app" philosophy for business is maturing. The open question for the sector is whether these integrated platforms can provide enough granular data to significantly lower the barriers to formal SME credit in the region.