AE Coin (AEC), the UAE’s homegrown first government-regulated stablecoin, has set the stage for crypto and Web3 innovation in the region and beyond boundaries. With monitoring eyes from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), the AE Coin is enticing trust and confidence among investors and users. As its executives put it in simple words, the stablecoin provides “freedom of crypto, the stability of the dirham, and the trust of UAE regulation.”
If you like the beautiful fact of AE Coin and want to use it in the UAE, here is where you can spend the coin.
Where can you use AE Coin in the UAE?
Initially approved by the CBUAE in October 2024, this dirham-backed stablecoin is backed by Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank), the first licensed digital bank in the UAE. The coin is equal to one dirham — 1 AEC = 1 AED, maintaining stability in times of market volatility.
The homegrown stablecoin has several use cases; however, its first announced utility was when Mbank collaborated with AEC Wallet to enable customers to purchase the coin.
AE Coin for taxi payments
AE Coin is expanding into the transportation realm with Tawasul taxis accepting AEC payment for rides. Tawasul Transportation and Mbank partnered to make this reality happen in Abu Dhabi in June 2025.
AE Coin for flight booking
Yes, this is another way you can pay with the stablecoin. As of now, Air Arabia flights accept AE Coin for booking flights.
AE Coin for shopping
Not all shops accept AE Coin. At the moment, the UAE retail chain Select Market accepts payments using the stablecoin.
AE Coin for court fees
The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) has started accepting AE Coin for judicial and legal fees in July 2025.
Efforts are underway to diversify the corridor of AEC’s use cases. As the UAE foresees more scope in digitalization and blockchain innovation, more sectors will witness AE Coin as a mode of payment.
Why choose AE Coin?
- AE Coin promises robust security features, ensuring safety over transactions
- The stablecoin is regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE, enhancing an additional level of security
- Using AE Coin can bring better growth opportunities by giving access to investment, staking, DeFi protocols, or even tokenized assets, and boost your wealth faster.
How can you buy AE Coin?
Once you understand what an AE Coin is, your next task is to buy it if you are a strong crypto lover. To buy AE Coins,
- Download AEC Wallet App from Google Play, App Store, or Huawei.
- Also, download Mbank and create an account on it.
- Register on AEC Wallet using your Mbank app.
- Top up your wallet by transferring AED using your Mbank account.
- Now convert dirhams (AED) to AE Coin on the wallet.
- Now you can optionally send AE Coin, scan and pay, or redeem it to AED.
Shopping sprees, fine dining, transportation, online subscriptions, and more sectors are eagerly anticipating the diversified use cases of AE Coin. While its utility is currently applied to flight bookings, taxi payments, court fees, and retail shopping, more industries are expected to explore and adopt AEC, with the CBUAE and Mbank standing as its backbone.
