Raqma

Fintech stack for agencies & professional services in the UAE

Service firms invoice B2B, run lean, and feel admin time in the hourly rate. This stack is built for that: accounts that open without a branch visit, e-invoicing that satisfies the MoF mandate on day one, and accounting that does not need a full-time bookkeeper.

What makes this industry different

  • Retainer and milestone invoices dominate — receivables ageing, not revenue, is the cash-flow metric that matters.
  • Professional services are pure B2B — the MoF e-invoicing mandate applies to essentially every invoice you issue.
  • Admin overhead is billable time lost — every tool in the stack should remove work, not add a back-office.

The recommended stack

Business accounts

Fast remote onboarding and clean statements matter more than branch networks — most service firms never visit a branch.

Fully digital business account: multi-currency IBAN (AED, USD, EUR, GBP), invoicing, payroll and virtual cards. Fastest realistic onboarding for most new companies.

Multi-currency: AED, USD, EUR, GBPFully digital onboarding
Monthly fee
AED 99
Min balance
AED 0
Approval
2–3 days
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

Essential AED 99/mo (VAT incl.): 2 users, 10 free local transfers, SWIFT at AED 52.50. Grow AED 249/mo: unlimited local transfers, 3 salary files, up to 3% interest. Per wio.io/business, verified Oct 2026.

ruya Community Islamic Bank

ruya Business Current

Sharia-compliant business account opened fully online in about 20 minutes. No minimum balance, no hidden fees; local transfers from AED 0.53.

Fully digital onboarding
Monthly fee
AED 79
Min balance
AED 0
Approval
~20 min
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

AED 79/month subscription; no minimum balance, no hidden costs; ~20-minute digital onboarding; WPS supported. Per ruyabank.ae business banking, verified Oct 2026.

Startup-tier business account: no minimum balance and no monthly fee for the first 12 months (then ~AED 104/mo). Strong fit for northern-emirates free zones.

Fully digital onboarding
Monthly fee
AED 0
Min balance
AED 0
Approval
~3 days
Free zone
Yes
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

Introductory AED 0 monthly fee applies for 12 months; ~AED 103.95/mo after. Verify schedule of charges before applying.

E-invoicing

Every client invoice is B2B — pick an MoF-accredited ASP early and skip the scramble when your phase hits.

Wafeq

Wafeq

All-in-one UAE accounting software that is itself an accredited ASP — books, VAT and e-invoicing in one subscription, with a native Arabic interface.

Provider: MoF-accreditedAccounting + e-invoicingFree-zone friendly
MoF accreditation
Yes — ASP
Price from
AED 69
Model
Accounting SaaS with built-in e-invoicing
Best for
SMEs wanting books and compliance in one place
UAE Ministry of Finance — accredited Reviewed
Apply

Plan prices per Wafeq published pricing, Oct 2026 (monthly billing). E-invoicing availability depends on plan tier — confirm with Wafeq.

The accounting suite many UAE SMEs already run, with the accredited e-invoicing add-on on top — keeps one ledger for books and compliance.

Provider: MoF-accreditedAccounting suite + e-invoicingFree-zone friendly
MoF accreditation
Yes — ASP
Price from
AED 60
Model
Accounting SaaS; e-invoicing is a paid add-on
Best for
Teams already on Zoho Books
UAE Ministry of Finance — accredited Reviewed
Apply

E-invoicing add-on pricing per Zoho Books AE pricing page, Oct 2026; base subscription priced separately by plan.

Flick

Flick

UAE-based accredited provider focused purely on e-invoicing — sits on top of your existing ERP or billing system rather than replacing it.

Provider: MoF-accreditedDedicated ASPFree-zone friendly
MoF accreditation
Yes — ASP
Price from
—
Model
Dedicated e-invoicing layer over existing systems
Best for
SMEs keeping their current accounting stack
UAE Ministry of Finance — accredited Reviewed
Apply

Pricing model per provider-published material, Oct 2026; quote depends on transaction volume and integration.

Accounting & tax

Project-based books, retainer schedules and quarterly VAT — cloud accounting beats a hired bookkeeper below ~10 staff.

UAE-built accounting software with a native Arabic interface — VAT-compliant invoicing, reports and an accredited e-invoicing module in one subscription.

Accounting softwareFree-zone friendly
Price from
AED 69
Model
Cloud software — you run the books
VAT & CT filing
VAT-compliant invoicing and filing-ready reports
E-invoicing
Provider accredited; confirm product support
Reviewed
Apply

Plan prices per Wafeq published pricing, Oct 2026 (monthly billing).

sol.online

sol.online

Subscription accounting that replaces an in-house bookkeeper — bookkeeping, VAT, corporate tax and payroll in fixed monthly packages, with a Russian-speaking team.

Outsourced accounting serviceFree-zone friendly
Price from
AED 125
Model
Outsourced service — they keep the books and file
VAT & CT filing
VAT returns and CT filing handled for you
E-invoicing
Runs through your accounting software or an ASP
Reviewed
Apply

Package prices per sol.online published pricing, Oct 2026 — final quote depends on transaction volume and scope.

Zoho

Zoho Books

The most common accounting suite among UAE SMEs — VAT-compliant invoicing, EmaraTax-ready reports and an accredited e-invoicing add-on.

Accounting softwareFree-zone friendly
Price from
AED 60
Model
Cloud software — you run the books
VAT & CT filing
VAT-compliant invoicing and filing-ready reports
E-invoicing
Provider accredited; confirm product support
Reviewed
Apply

Free-plan eligibility and paid-tier prices per Zoho Books AE pricing page, Oct 2026.

Corporate cards

Team spend on software subscriptions and client entertainment needs limits and receipts, not reimbursements.

Pemo

Pemo

Unlimited virtual cards on the free plan, receipt matching and accounting integrations (Zoho, QuickBooks, Xero). Cashback on card spend makes the free tier genuinely usable.

2% cashbackFree-zone friendlyFully digital onboardingMulti-currency: AED, USD
Monthly fee
AED 0
Cashback
up to 2%
Approval
1–3 days
Free zone
Yes
Reviewed
Apply

Kickoff plan AED 0/mo (2 card users, +AED 29/user); Essential AED 58/mo; Business+ custom (min 20 card users). Per Pemo help centre, verified Oct 2026.

Qashio

Qashio

Emirates NBD-backed corporate cards with strong merchant-category controls — good fit for ad spend and SaaS subscriptions where cashback compounds.

2% cashbackFree-zone friendlyFully digital onboardingMulti-currency: AED, USD
Monthly fee
AED 0
Cashback
up to 2%
Approval
2–5 days
Free zone
Yes
Reviewed
Apply

Qashio Points convert to cashback or Emirates Skywards miles (no conversion fee; cashback credited ~3–5 business days). Prepaid corporate card issued by NymCard (CBUAE-authorised). Per qashio.com, verified Oct 2026.

Payroll & WPS

Once you hire, WPS-compliant payroll is mandatory — start with a provider that scales from a handful of employees.

Bayzat

Bayzat

All-in-one HR, payroll and benefits — employee records, leave, health insurance and WPS-compliant payroll in one UAE-built platform.

HR & payroll suite
Price from
—
Model
HR suite with payroll inside
WPS
WPS-compliant payroll runs
Best for
SMEs wanting HR + payroll + insurance in one
Reviewed
Apply

Quoted per-employee pricing — bundles vary by module and headcount.

botim money

botim Payroll

WPS payroll inside the botim money business super-app — digital salary disbursement paired with a business wallet, for merchants already on the platform.

Payroll serviceUAE Central Bank — licensed
Price from
—
Model
Payroll inside a business super-app
WPS
Digital WPS payroll disbursement
Best for
Merchants and SMEs already on botim money
UAE Central Bank — licensed Reviewed
Apply

Payroll runs through botim’s licensed wallet rails — confirm WPS agent coverage for your MOHRE establishment.

Regulatory notes

  • E-invoicing applies to B2B invoices — for service firms that is nearly all billing; phases run from a July 2026 pilot to full coverage in July 2027.
  • VAT registration is mandatory at AED 375,000 taxable turnover; advisory and consulting fees are standard-rated at 5%.
  • Corporate tax is 9% above AED 375,000 taxable income; Small Business Relief applies to revenue up to AED 3M through 2026.
Not sure what fits? — answer three questions and get a shortlist

Frequently asked questions

Which business account suits a consultancy in Dubai?

Digital banks that onboard remotely (no branch visit) and export clean statements for your accountant. Compare approval times and whether they accept free-zone licences in the catalogue.

Do agencies need e-invoicing software?

Yes — if you bill other businesses, your invoices are in the MoF mandate scope. Pick an accredited ASP before your turnover phase kicks in; most integrate with the accounting tools listed here.

When does a service firm need to register for VAT?

Once taxable turnover exceeds AED 375,000 in the last 12 months — or is expected to in the next 30 days. Voluntary registration is possible from AED 187,500.

Bank or licensed fintech for payroll?

For a handful of salaried staff, either works — WPS compliance is what matters. Dedicated payroll providers add leave, EOS gratuity tracking and salary cards if some staff lack bank accounts.

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