Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, has named peer-to-peer payment platform Ziina the winner of the Dubai-it Award in the business category. The recognition highlights a homegrown fintech company that has grown from a small start-up into one of the UAE's most widely used digital payment tools. Founded by Faisal Toukan together with co-founders Sarah and Talal, Ziina takes its name from the Arabic word for ornament or a thing of beauty, a nod to the founders' mother. Licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE, the app lets users send money to each other using just a phone number instead of an IBAN, a feature that has made it popular for everyday transfers among friends, family and small business owners. The company says more than 500,000 people now use the app, while roughly 290,000 business owners and small or home-based enterprises rely on it to accept payments. Cumulative mobile transactions processed through the platform have surpassed $1.5 billion. New users are required to verify their identity with an Emirates ID before opening an account. Presenting the award, Sheikh Hamdan described Ziina's trajectory as proof of what can be achieved by building from the ground up and growing with ambition, adding that the company's impact reaches well beyond a typical business success story. The Dubai-it Award is handed out annually to companies and individuals who have made a notable contribution to technology and digital innovation in the emirate. Ziina's win underlines how Dubai's fintech scene continues to produce competitive local players alongside international payment giants operating in the region.