Topic
Mastercard Lighthouse
August 18, 2026 ยท Market & ecosystem
UAE AI Programme Gives Small Startups a Route Into Enterprise Financial Services
Six AI startups have advanced into a four-month Mastercard Lighthouse UAE programme supported by the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office. The opportunity extends beyond the selected companies: the programme shows that enterprise access in Gulf financial services is increasingly being organised through structured startup channels, giving smaller AI vendors a route to banks, investors and strategic partners that would otherwise be difficult to reach.