UAE-regulated, AI and Blockchain-powered digital bank Zand becomes the first Bank in the Middle East to achieve ISO certification for Information Security Management Systems (ISO 27001) and for Privacy Information Management Systems (ISO 27701).
In terms of significance, Zand Bank is now the first bank in the MENA region to meet these internationally recognized standards for Web3 services, which include digital asset custody, smart contract management, and bridging TradFi and DeFi. As per the press release, this achievement reflects Zand’s alignment with, and continuous commitment to, implementing and reinforcing best practices to protect data and scale security.
Zand Bank builds this achievement on its strategy to unlock next-generation innovation
ISO 27001 is the premier international standard for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS). While ISO/IEC 27701 is an international standard for a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) that provides requirements and guidance for managing personal data.
Both of which are key tools for cyber resilience and compliance.
This achievement by Zand builds on previous statements made by its CEO, Michael Chan: “Zand AED is more than a stablecoin. It is the UAE’s bridge between traditional finance and decentralized finance. It unlocks the next generation of payments, tokenization, and digital asset innovation. All of it is built on trust, transparency, and regulatory clarity.”
These certifications reinforce this statement.
Marwan Alzarouni, CEO of AI at Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, in a LinkedIn post congratulated the Zand team, noting ” Achieving ISO 27001 and ISO 27701, underscores the team’s uncompromising commitment to information security and privacy in digital asset custody and smart contract services.”
Zand is looking to integrate crypto and fiat seamlessly
Earlier this year, Zand and CoinMENA FZE, a UAE crypto broker recently acquired by Turkey’s Paribu, collaborated to empower CoinMENA FZE’s clients across the region with seamless and secure fiat-to-crypto integration.
Clients can transfer funds efficiently between their Zand bank accounts and CoinMENA FZE wallets. Zand’s AI and blockchain infrastructure would ensure efficient banking services for CoinMENA FZE users, making the conversion between fiat and crypto, including stablecoins, secure and seamless.
Already, Zand Bank is the digital bank of choice for UAE-regulated crypto exchanges, as from the onslaught it had embraced AI, Blockchain, and digital assets.
Zand Bank is owned by a consortium of investors, with major stakes held by Al Hail Holding, Emirates NBD, Franklin Templeton, and Yusuff Ali (founder of Lulu Group), under the leadership of Chairman Mohamed Alabbar. Other key backers include Aditya Birla Group and Al Sayyah & Sons Investments.
