First Abu Dhabi Bank and Citi Trial 24/7 Cross-Border Payments

Sep 2, 2026

54 min

Sep 2, 2026 12:31

First Abu Dhabi Bank tests 24/7 cross-border payments with Citi

## Innovative Payment Test

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has successfully conducted live US dollar transactions with Citi using tokenised deposits. This trial is part of an initiative to enable 24/7 cross-border payments. The transactions were executed through Swift's Ledger Minimum Viable Product (MVP), marking a significant step for FAB as the first bank in the Middle East and Africa to reach this stage.

## Technology Integration

The test integrated Swift's existing payment messaging system with tokenised deposits and distributed ledger technology. Tokenised deposits are digital representations of money held in bank accounts, which remain on the banks' balance sheets rather than being converted into digital assets. Swift Ledger coordinated the payment commitments between the banks, while the final settlement occurred through traditional banking channels.

## Future Prospects

FAB plans to continue collaborating with Swift and other institutions to enhance connectivity between different systems. Future phases aim to develop 24/7 cross-border settlement capabilities and programmable treasury services for corporate clients. This initiative is part of a broader effort to create a common layer for communication between various tokenised money systems.

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