The UAE’s trade expansion is creating opportunities for businesses across the economy yet accessing new markets is only part of the challenge. For small and medium-sized enterprises, growth also depends on securing the working capital, trade finance and receivables funding needed to fulfil contracts and manage cash flow.
ADEED Finance, developed by 7X on its UAE Supply Chain Support Platform, ADEED, seeks to address this gap by connecting businesses with participating financial institutions through a digital channel. Combining 7X’s trade and logistics ecosystem with FINTX’s financial technology capabilities, the platform aims to bring financing requirements closer to the commercial activities that generate them.
SME access and competitiveness
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached AED 1.937T in H1 of FY26: an increase of 13.1% year on year. SMEs account for approximately 95% of businesses operating in the country and more than 85% of private-sector employment, making their ability to fulfil contracts, enter new markets and expand operations central to economic competitiveness. Access to finance is an important part of this equation. Businesses need capital to purchase materials, manage inventory, fulfil orders and navigate the period between delivery and payment. As trade opportunities expand, they need more than market access; they also need the financial and operational capabilities to convert opportunities into commercial activity.
The firm extends the support available through ADEED beyond operational and logistics requirements to financing, connecting businesses with financial institutions through a structured digital channel.
Bridging the financing gap
However, SME financing needs vary according to the nature and stage of a business. An importer may require trade finance, a manufacturer may need working capital to increase production, while a supplier may seek receivables financing to manage cash flow.
The challenge depends on institutional requirements, awareness of appropriate financing pathways and presenting finance needs in a format any lender can assess. Smaller companies may lack dedicated financial teams or extensive banking resources to manage this process.
ADEED captures businesses’ financing requirements and supporting documentation, creating a route for referring applications to participating banks and financial institutions. Its financing pathways cover working capital, trade finance, supply-chain finance, invoice and receivables financing, and other relevant products.
Participating institutions retain responsibility for eligibility criteria, credit assessments, pricing and financing decisions. The platform’s proposition is to reduce fragmentation between commercial requirements and financial services, helping SMEs explore relevant options more efficiently while strengthening the connection between business activity and access to capital.
By connecting logistics, finance and data on one platform, we are strengthening the speed, continuity and efficiency of trade for UAE businesses
Trade, technology and finance
Builds on 7X’s established trade and logistics ecosystem, ADEED is aiming to bring financial services closer to the operational requirements businesses face when moving goods, managing supply chains and fulfilling commercial commitments.
7X connects government entities, businesses and service providers around operational and supply-chain needs. The addition of ADEED Finance extends this approach into financial services, combining FINTX’s digital capabilities with the financing expertise and product offerings of participating institutions. The model reflects the potential value of treating trade, logistics and financial services as interconnected parts of the same commercial process. For a business securing an international supply contract, for example, working capital to procure inventory may be just as important as the logistics support required to deliver the order.
The platform’s first phase brings together five financial partners: First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates NBD, National Bank of Fujairah and Numou. Their participation provides an institutional foundation for a network offering businesses additional pathways to financing solutions.
Banks contribute established financing products and risk-management capabilities, fintech supports digital connectivity and structured processes, while trade ecosystem partners bring an understanding of the commercial requirements driving demand. For financial institutions, the platform offers an additional digital channel to engage with businesses presenting identifiable financing needs and supporting information, while preserving existing credit, compliance and customer relationship processes.
Measuring the impact
The effectiveness of ADEED will depend on whether improved connectivity translates into practical outcomes for businesses. Relevant measures include the volume and relevance of financing referrals, the efficiency of application journeys, the breadth of participating institutions and products, and verified financing outcomes.
Over the next two to three years, the platform aims to build on its initial partnership network, broaden available financing pathways and strengthen its ability to connect businesses’ requirements with relevant institutional capabilities. Continued development of the wider ADEED ecosystem will also seek to improve coordination between commercial, operational and financing needs. This direction aligns with the UAE’s National Agenda for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, which identifies access to funding, digital transformation and business support among its priorities.
It is also consistent with the CBUAE’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2026–2030, which emphasises responsible financial services, digital innovation and the inclusion of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. As the UAE expands its international commercial relationships and deepens its role in global supply chains, SMEs will need the financial and operational capabilities to convert new opportunities into sustainable growth.
ADEED represents 7X’s effort to make access to financial services a more connected part of that journey. Its longer-term value will depend not simply on digital access, but on how effectively it connects businesses with relevant financing opportunities and helps them meet the capital requirements of trade.
