Vision Bank, the Abu Dhabi Global Market-headquartered Islamic lender wholly owned by GII Group, has launched a new SME financing proposition designed to improve access to short-term trade finance through partnerships with fintechs and digital trade finance platforms.
The proposition will use a multi-channel distribution model to identify financing opportunities for SMEs involved in cross-border trade, with Vision Bank assessing the underlying transaction, counterparties and associated credit risk rather than relying solely on traditional balance-sheet lending criteria.
The bank is targeting exporters and SMEs across the GCC, India, Southeast Asia and other trade-intensive markets, where businesses can face challenges accessing competitive US dollar working capital through conventional banking channels. Financing under the proposition will be structured in accordance with Shari’ah principles.
Vision Bank is the only homegrown Category 1 Islamic bank operating within ADGM and is licensed and regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. It provides Shari’ah-compliant banking services to corporate clients across the ADGM and DIFC, with regulatory permissions covering deposit-taking, credit provision and investment or credit advisory services.
The new proposition forms part of Vision Bank’s broader strategy of using digital platforms and fintech partnerships to support business growth. It builds on the bank’s existing business accounts, client money accounts and deposit products, while extending its offering into working capital and cross-border trade finance.
GII Group, Vision Bank’s parent company, is a UAE-based Shari’ah-compliant alternative asset manager founded in 2014. The group manages more than $3bn in assets across private equity, real estate, private credit and other strategies, with a presence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.
Vision Bank chairman Jeremy Parrish said, “SMEs are increasingly operating across borders, platforms and supply chains, but access to short-term trade finance has not always kept pace with how these businesses work. With this launch, Vision Bank is introducing a platform-led SME financing proposition designed to support real trade flows across markets in a Shari’ah-compliant and commercially practical way.”
GII Group co-founders and co-CEOs Mohammed Alhassan and Pankaj Gupta said, “Vision Bank reflects how GII builds. We identify a structural gap, then address it through a regulated platform and technology-enabled distribution rather than balance-sheet scale. SMEs trading across borders remain underserved in US dollar working capital, and a partnership-led, Shari’ah-compliant model allows Vision Bank to reach them selectively and with discipline.”
The bank said it intends to continue expanding its network of fintech and trade finance platform partners as the proposition develops, creating another route for SMEs seeking cross-border working capital.
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