Dubai, United Arab Emirates – August 25, 2025: American Express Middle East has announced its latest merchant agreement with Skiply, the leading educational mobile payment app in UAE powered by RAKBANK, to provide American Express Card Members with a seamless and secure solution for managing school-related payments in over 400 educational merchants including schools in the United Arab Emirates.
Skiply’s platform consolidates payment options for a wide network of schools, eliminating the need for Card Members to navigate individual school payment portals. Skiply also enables users to purchase uniforms and books and provides users access to prior transaction history. This streamlined approach simplifies payments and offers a smoother and faster journey for users.
This agreement is part of American Express Middle East’s ongoing commitment to growing the number of places that accept American Express, enabling customers to use their Cards more frequently for everyday expenses. Globally, American Express has approximately 146 million Cards in force and is accepted at more than 108 million merchant locations. Since 2017, the company has more than quadrupled the number of merchant locations that accept American Express worldwide, reflecting its dedication to expanding its global footprint in the places where Card Members live, work, and travel.
Graziela Martins, AEME’s Country Head UAE and Vice President Merchant Business MENA, commented on the agreement: “At American Express, we are constantly looking for ways to enhance the everyday experiences of our Card Members, including providing them with greater payment choice. This agreement with Skiply reinforces our focus on delivering digital-first services that meet the evolving needs of our Card Members across the region.”
Abdallah Muhana, Senior Vice President – Head of Skiply & Head of Education Payment Solution, commented: “By enabling American Express acceptance in Skiply, we’ve enhanced the payment experience for both guardians and schools. This step empowers families with greater flexibility and more payment options, making the journey smoother, faster, and more inclusive.”
About American Express Middle East
American Express began operations in the MENA region in 1959 and set up its first office in Bahrain in 1977. In 1992, AEME was established in Bahrain as a joint venture company owned by American Express and Mawarid Investment Limited. Today, AEME provides consumer card, corporate and merchant payment solutions across MENA, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business.
Learn more at http://www.americanexpress.ae , download Amex MENA app or connect with us on www.facebook.com/AmericanExpressME, www.instagram.com/amexmena and www.linkedin.com/company/AmericanExpressME
About Skiply
Skiply is a smart digital payment platform designed to simplify and streamline school-related payments across the UAE. Developed by RAKBANK, Skiply enables parents to pay school fees, manage transport and extracurricular payments, and track transactions—all from a single mobile app.
With a focus on convenience, security, and real-time access, Skiply partners with leading schools to make education payments easy, transparent, and hassle-free. Skip the queue. Choose Skiply.
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For more information, visit www.skiply.ae.