Middle East digital transformation prompts digital ID adoption and partnership

The Middle East is seeing particularly strong growth in digital identity, cybersecurity, biometrics and other key aspects of the digital infrastructure and transformation trend.

A wave of partnerships and alliances are testament to this as government-led mandates are creating business opportunities as organizations look to overhaul their systems.

The UAE has just mandated all financial institutions to phase out weak authentication methods and adopt soft tokens and biometrics on a rapid timeline (more on this below). Into the mix businesses are looking to expand their reach and target this increasingly significant market.

Intercede, a specialist in digital identity management and authentication, is forging a strategic partnership with Gulf IT to introduce its flagship MyID CMS across the Gulf region.

Through Gulf IT’s established regional presence, entities from government agencies to financial institutions will gain access to Intercede’s end-to-end credential lifecycle management solution.

For its part Intercede will deliver training and certification programs for Gulf IT’s technical teams. Joint marketing campaigns and collaborative business development activities are also slated throughout the Gulf region.

“This partnership represents a significant step in our international expansion strategy,” said Siobhan Morey-Millington, sales director at Intercede.

“Gulf IT’s deep understanding of the regional market and their commitment to delivering exceptional client solutions makes them the ideal partner to help us establish a strong presence in this important market.”

The alliance comes as Gulf states intensify digital transformation efforts while upholding strict security standards. MyID CMS streamlines user authentication, automates credential issuance, and strengthens access controls — addressing the region’s growing need for robust, scalable identity management.

“The Gulf region’s rapid digital adoption creates substantial opportunities for advanced identity management solutions,” said Abdul Rahaman, founder of Gulf IT.

“Intercede’s MyID CMS platform aligns perfectly with our clients’ needs for robust, scalable credential management. We look forward to helping organizations across the region implement these solutions to strengthen their security posture while improving operational efficiency.

Gulf IT will lead local implementation, training, and ongoing support for MyID CMS deployments. This leverages Gulf IT’s regional relationships and market knowledge alongside Intercede’s technical expertise. The partnership targets sectors including government, defense, healthcare, financial services, and enterprise. Both companies expect heightened market demand as Gulf organizations ramp up cybersecurity investments and digital infrastructure projects.

UAE requires biometrics implementation from all financial institutions

The Central Bank of UAE has directed all financial institutions to phase out weak authentication methods such as SMS and email one-time passwords by March 2026.

The directive requires financial institutions to adopt risk-based user authentication technologies including Emirates Face Recognition, soft tokens and biometrics.

Banks are also required to implement real-time fraud monitoring, suspend sessions when malicious activity is detected, and provide customers with secure self-service account tools.

The compliance deadline leaves financial institutions just eight months to implement the new technologies and processes.

Legacy systems built around OTP infrastructure will need a full overhaul to support cryptographic tokens, biometrics, and secure app-based verification. Mobile banking apps will need to include secure digital tokens or biometric layers tied to users.

UAE banks Emirates NBD, ADIB, and FAB have already replaced SMS OTPs with biometric or in-app solutions for most online transactions, reports Bank Info Security.

The shift comes as threats surge — fraud and scams rose 43 percent year-on-year in the UAE with a Global Anti-Scam Alliance report finding more than 40,000 victims losing an average of $2,194 in 2023.

Many regulators worldwide, such as Singapore’s Monetary Authority, are moving away from SMS-based OTPs for banking activities.

Arab Bank is the first in Jordan to accept Sanad digital ID

Arab Bank has announced the official adoption of Jordan’s national Sanad digital ID. This makes it the first bank in Jordan to accept the e-ID in lieu of a physical identification card.

Jordan announced it had surpassed 1.6 million digital identities activated through the Sanad app, according to statistics from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, in April.

For banking customers they simply open the Sanad app on their smartphones, display the QR code and have it scanned at any Arab Bank branch. This will confirm identity for users.

The move is part of Arab Bank’s broader digital transformation strategy, which aims to deliver faster and more efficient services while maintaining rigorous security standards.

Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, responsible for building and managing the country’s digital ecosystem, partnered with Arab Bank on the initiative.

The ministry’s goal is to promote widespread adoption of digital IDs through targeted programs that simplify administrative procedures and enhance service delivery nationwide.

UAE Pass, the country’s digital ID platform, is also used by millions of people to access thousands of public and private sector services digitally. Over 322 service providers from the private and public sectors have integrated the system and more than 11 million people use it for various purposes including account logins. An estimated 2.6 billion digital transactions have been carried out among different institutions which have integrated their services.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  financial services  |  government services  |  Intercede  |  Jordan  |  Middle East  |  Sanad  |  UAE  |  UAE Pass