Meydan Free Zone partners with Alaan to offer startups seamless financial tools. Businesses get access to unlimited smart corporate cards, AI-powered expense tracking, and 2% cashback, built into their business license, streamlining setup, spend control, and compliance from day one.
Photo Courtesy of Alaan & Meydan Free Zone
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meydan Free Zone, the UAE's only 100% digital Free Zone has announced a strategic partnership with Alaan, the region's leading corporate card and expense management platform. The collaboration brings smart financial automation directly into the business setup journey, enabling founders to launch with built-in visibility, control, and speed.
Through this partnership, all new businesses registered with Meydan Free Zone before August 31, 2025, will gain 12 months of free access to Alaan's premium plan, valued at AED 6,000. This includes:
- Unlimited Visa corporate cards for teams and founders
- 2% cashback on international spend (ideal for software, ads, online services)
- Access to Alaan's uncapped cashback programme for government payments, fuel, utilities, and more, upon meeting the criteria
"This partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering a founder-first experience," said Mohammad Bin Humaidan Al Falasi, Director of Free Zone Licensing at Meydan Free Zone. "By integrating Alaan's platform, we're helping every new business gain real-time financial control from day one, with no friction, no delays, and no blind spots."
Alaan's tools allow businesses to automate spend policies, match receipts instantly, extract VAT data, and integrate seamlessly with accounting systems like QuickBooks, Xero, and SAP.
With UAE banking facilitation, 0% corporate tax for qualifying businesses, and over 2,500 licensed activities, Meydan Free Zone complements this with a fully digital license setup, delivered in under 60 minutes through its flagship Fawri license.
"Alaan was built to modernise how companies manage spend," said Shubhda Hirawat, Chief of Staff at Alaan. "Our partnership with Meydan Free Zone brings that vision to life for thousands of new businesses who want to move faster, operate smarter, and stay compliant, without the operational drag."
Alaan also launched in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, as part of its regional expansion. They're continuing to roll out tailored features for tax compliance, workflows, and Arabic-language dashboards, further aligning with Meydan Free Zone's vision of supporting founders across the GCC.
The initiative also supports Dubai's long-term goal of fostering SME growth and cementing its position as a launchpad for innovation-led businesses. By embedding financial infrastructure into the setup journey, the partnership enables founders across e-commerce, tech, consulting, and digital services to focus on growth, not admin.
To avail this offer, reach out to partnerships@alaanpay.comwith the subject "Alaan x Meydan" or book a quick demo here.
About Meydan Free Zone: The UAE's only 100% Digital Free Zone
Meydan Free Zone is one of Dubai's most future-focused business hubs. It offers a fully digital setup experience, comprehensive compliance support, and access to over 2,500 business activities. Built for speed, transparency, and simplicity, Meydan empowers entrepreneurs to scale confidently from Dubai to the world.
About Alaan
Alaan is the largest and most comprehensive spend management platform in the Middle East. Its cards are utilized by over 1,000 startups, mid-market, and enterprise customers, serving more than 200,000 employees across sectors including Tech, Real Estate, Aviation, Logistics, and Retail. With its proprietary AI-powered corporate cards, Alaan has saved millions for businesses and has supercharged finance teams that are looking for a technological edge in saving time and money for their organizations.
Alaan launched in 2022 in the UAE, expanded to KSA earlier in 2025, and is backed by Y Combinator. G2 also ranks Alaan as the No.1 expense management platform across the Middle East and Africa.
Contact Information:
Anisha Sagar
Head of Marketing & Communications, Meydan Free Zone
Phone: +971 55 210 5697
E-mail: anisha@meydanfz.ae
Ahmed Khan
Partnerships Manager
Phone: +971 508546409
E-mail: ahmed.khan@alaanpay.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/168aa14d-9e63-4870-b556-b623161da5cb
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81f0fe98-5ebf-48cd-9cdc-a8684eecfc7f
