UAE's first central bank-licensed stablecoin AE Coin enters gas stations: nearly 1,000 retail outlets adopt digital payments

【BitPush】The UAE stablecoin ecosystem has once again made new progress. ADNOC Distribution and Al Maryah Community Bank have jointly signed a cooperation agreement to promote digital payments at retail terminals across three Middle Eastern countries. It sounds simple, but the details are quite interesting.

Specifically, the cooperation covers nearly 980 service stations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Users can pay for gas, convenience store shopping, and even car washes using AE Coin through Al Maryah Community Bank’s AEC Wallet. AE Coin itself is quite special—it is the UAE’s first stablecoin approved by the central bank, maintaining a 1:1 peg with the Dirham.

This is not just a marketing gimmick. ADNOC Distribution CEO Eng. Bader Saeed Al Lamki emphasized that this move aims to embed a secure, regulated digital payment solution into everyday retail experiences. Currently, ADNOC’s scale in these three countries is significant—562 stations in the UAE, 172 in Saudi Arabia, and 243 in Egypt. If this model proves successful, stablecoins, which are usually considered financial tools on exchanges, could truly become a common payment method at roadside gas stations.