Mastercard Partners With IFZA, Global Tax Assistant to Rollout AI-Powered Business Registration System in UAE.

Mastercard has partnered with IFZA and Global Tax Assistant to roll out an AI-powered business registration system in the UAE. The system aims to simplify the registration process for businesses in the country. Mastercard has also received updates to its price target from various analysts, including President Capital, Daiwa Securities, and HSBC.

Mastercard has joined forces with IFZA, one of the fastest-growing free zones in the UAE, and Global Tax Assistant, an international consulting firm, to launch a fully digital, AI-driven business registration journey in the UAE [1]. The collaboration aims to accelerate the growth of the country’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and pave the way for their expansion across the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) markets.

SMEs account for over 94% of all businesses in the UAE and contribute to more than 50% of its GDP. The National Agenda for Entrepreneurship and SMEs seeks to establish the UAE as an entrepreneurial nation and one of the top three countries in the Global Entrepreneurship Index by 2031. The collaboration marks one of the first digital AI-powered business registration pilots in the region, reflecting a unique public-private sector collaboration focused on SME enablement through advanced technology.

The end-to-end onboarding process – from document submission to license issuance – is powered by AI, enabling faster, more efficient processing. Automation across form completion, document verification, and communication workflows help reduce setup time and operational overhead for entrepreneurs. As part of the collaboration, Mastercard business card cardholders will gain access to simplified and discounted business setup services, further reducing friction and costs for startups and small businesses in the UAE.

The collaboration is closely aligned with the UAE’s broader digital transformation agenda and its commitment to strengthening the SME sector – two key pillars of the nation’s economic diversification strategy. By digitizing key aspects of business formation and compliance, the collaboration contributes to national goals of fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development.

Mastercard has also received updates to its price target from various analysts. President Capital, Daiwa Securities, and HSBC have provided their insights, reflecting the market's confidence in the company’s strategic initiatives and growth prospects.

References:
[1] https://techafricanews.com/2025/08/11/mastercard-ifza-and-global-tax-assistant-launch-ai-powered-business-registration-in-the-uae/