Numou, an SME growth platform operated by ADGM, has partnered with Abhi, a regional digital banking provider specialising in Embedded Finance and working capital solutions.
The collaboration aims to improve access to finance for SMEs across the region by simplifying the process of obtaining short-term liquidity.
The agreement integrates Abhi’s digital lending infrastructure into the Numou ecosystem, enabling faster credit assessments and more efficient loan disbursements. As a result, SMEs using Numou are expected to reduce the time between issuing invoices and receiving payment, mitigating cash-flow challenges that commonly hinder operational continuity and growth readiness.
Strengthening SME liquidity through digital finance
The partnership focuses on addressing structural financing gaps that affect SMEs in the UAE and wider Middle East. According to regional economic data, SMEs account for more than 90% of registered businesses in the GCC and contribute an estimated 30% of GDP in major markets. Despite this economic importance, SME lending in the GCC is 3% with an estimated credit gap of USD 250 billion. Delayed invoice payments further exacerbate liquidity constraints, with average settlement periods often exceeding 60 days.
By embedding automated lending and assessment tools into Numou’s platform, the collaboration seeks to decrease processing times for working-capital requests by up to 70%, based on comparable implementations in digital-finance ecosystems. The model is designed to support businesses operating in sectors heavily affected by cash-flow volatility, including construction, professional services, logistics, and retail.
In addition to liquidity improvements, the initiative aims to support national diversification strategies. In the UAE, SME development is a central component of long-term economic plans, with government targets aiming for SMEs to contribute 60% of non-oil GDP. Easier finance accessibility is considered a key requirement for achieving sustainable growth among smaller enterprises, particularly those scaling operations or entering new markets.
Early projections indicate that the integration between Numou and Abhi could support more SMEs in gaining access to working capital previously unavailable through traditional channels.
