Sharjah Media City Partners with Ziina to Boost Digital Payments for SMEs
Sharjah Media City (Shams) has struck a new partnership with UAE-based fintech platform Ziina, making digital payments for SMEs within its free zone ecosystem faster, simpler, and more accessible. The deal puts a mobile-first payments infrastructure directly in the hands of entrepreneurs and small businesses operating under the Shams umbrella.
Under the agreement, Shams clients will receive AED 10,000 in fee-free transactions as an introductory incentive, a move designed to lower the barrier for businesses that have been slow to transition away from traditional payment methods. The offer lets businesses explore the platform without worrying about upfront costs eating into already tight margins.
Ziina’s platform gives businesses the ability to send, receive, and manage payments through a mobile-first interface built for everyday business use. For smaller enterprises juggling multiple financial tasks, that kind of simplification is not a luxury, it is increasingly a competitive necessity.
The partnership lands at a significant moment. The UAE has been aggressively pushing toward a cashless economy, and collaborations like this one signal that free zones are now key battlegrounds for fintech adoption. Sharjah Media City digital payments for SMEs becoming a structured priority, not just an aspiration, marks a meaningful shift in how the emirate positions itself for the next wave of business growth.
Rashid Sahoo, Director of Operations at Shams, said the tie-up reflects the free zone’s commitment to building a fully integrated business environment that keeps pace with rapid digital transformation. His remarks point to a broader strategic intent: Shams does not want to merely host businesses, it wants to actively equip them.
From Ziina’s side, the motivation is equally clear. Tomas Roberio, Head of Partnerships at Ziina, noted that the collaboration marks an important step in expanding the fintech’s reach across all seven emirates, reinforcing the company’s ambition to become the go-to payments layer for UAE businesses of every size.
Founded in 2020 and licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE, Ziina currently serves over 470,000 businesses and consumers across the country. That footprint gives the platform credibility and the kind of operational depth that SMEs need in a financial partner, not just a payment processor.
For Sharjah, the deal adds another layer to its growing reputation as a regional hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. For UAE small businesses, it is one more reason to finally leave the old payment playbook behind.
