Emirates Islamic has successfully implemented Host-to-Host (H2H) financial integration with Taaleem Holdings PJSC, one of the UAE’s largest premium K-12 education providers. The partnership creates a secure, automated link between Taaleem’s Enterprise Resource Planning system and Emirates Islamic’s corporate banking platform, streamlining payment processes and financial operations across the group’s network of schools.
Taaleem operates 36 schools and 34 nurseries under the Kids First Group. The education provider has been a banking customer of Emirates Islamic since 2007. The new H2H connection delivers real-time visibility into cash flow and reconciliation, stronger security controls, and greater scalability to support Taaleem’s continued expansion across the region.
Arnaud Prudhomme, Chief Financial Officer at Taaleem Holdings PJSC, said the partnership strengthens the group’s momentum of acquisitions and new school developments. “Having end-to-end connectivity with the bank through H2H digital integration brings operational efficiency as we step into our next growth phase. The support of a committed financial partner like Emirates Islamic is instrumental to this expansion".
Vivek Shah, Head of Corporate Banking at Emirates Islamic, described the move as an elevation of a long-standing relationship. “By establishing a direct link between Emirates Islamic’s banking platform and Taaleem, we are offering real-time visibility into their financial operations, enhancing efficiency and security, which will open new growth and regional expansion opportunities. For Emirates Islamic, this collaboration reinforces our presence in the education sector, enabling us to build sector-focused solutions that deliver tangible value to our customers".
The integration supports Emirates Islamic’s role as a trusted Islamic bank that partners with corporate clients over the long term and aligns with the UAE’s broader economic agenda. Established in 2003, Taaleem offers British, American and International Baccalaureate curricula. The group serves more than 40,000 students from over 80 nationalities, including approximately 4,600 children in its nursery segment.
Emirates Islamic, the Islamic banking arm of the Emirates NBD Group, was established in 2004 and operates 36 branches and 213 ATMs and CDMs across the UAE. The bank has built a strong reputation for innovation, becoming the first Islamic bank in the UAE to launch a mobile banking app and Apple Pay, and the first Islamic bank globally to introduce Chat Banking via WhatsApp. Recent awards include Islamic
Retail Bank of the Year – Middle East and Most Innovative Murabaha at The Banker’s Islamic Banking Awards 2025, Best Islamic Corporate Bank in the World and Best Islamic Financial Institution in the UAE at the Global Finance awards, and World’s Best Islamic Digital Bank at the Euromoney Islamic Finance Awards 2025.
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The H2H solution provides Taaleem with automated data exchange that reduces manual intervention, improves accuracy in reconciliations, and supports faster decision-making as the group scales. For education providers managing multiple campuses, tuition collections, supplier payments and multi-currency operations, such direct bank connectivity has become a practical necessity rather than a luxury. Emirates Islamic’s sector-focused approach allows the bank to tailor solutions that match the operational rhythms of school networks.
Taaleem’s growth strategy includes both organic expansion through new school developments and acquisitions. Seamless banking infrastructure reduces friction in these transactions and daily cash management, freeing management teams to focus on educational outcomes and campus development. The partnership also reflects a wider trend among UAE corporates in education, healthcare and other service sectors to move toward fully digital, API-driven and host-to-host banking relationships that deliver real-time control and audit trails.
Emirates Islamic continues to invest in technology and corporate solutions that serve the specific needs of growth-oriented businesses. Its presence in the education sector positions the bank to support other institutions seeking similar efficiency gains. For Taaleem, the H2H integration forms part of a broader digital transformation programme aimed at modernising back-office operations while maintaining the high standards of teaching and student experience that define its brands.
The collaboration underscores the value of long-term banking relationships that evolve with a client’s scale and ambition. What began as a conventional corporate banking relationship in 2007 has now matured into a fully integrated digital partnership capable of supporting multi-school, multi-currency operations across the UAE and beyond.
