A major shift in everyday payments is starting in the Gulf. ADNOC Distribution, the region’s largest network of fuel and convenience outlets, is preparing to let customers pay for fuel and in-store purchases using a government-approved digital token — marking one of the first large-scale retail tests of a sovereign-backed stablecoin.
Rather than launching a crypto experiment of its own, the retailer has partnered with Al Maryah Community Bank, which will provide the payment rails through its AEC Wallet.
Key Takeaways
ADNOC Distribution is piloting AE Coin payments across almost 1,000 fuel and retail outlets in three countries.
Payments will run through the AEC Wallet from Al Maryah Community Bank, enabling instant digital settlement at pumps and stores.
AE Coin is fully backed by dirhams and licensed by the UAE Central Bank, marking a rare real-world deployment of a regulated national stablecoin.
Drivers will be able to settle transactions with AE Coin — the UAE’s regulated, dirham-backed digital currency — directly from the app at pumps, car washes and Oasis convenience stores.
This integration spans nearly a thousand ADNOC Distribution locations across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, instantly putting the stablecoin inside one of the region’s busiest retail ecosystems.
Why AE Coin Matters
AE Coin isn’t a speculative asset. It is issued under the supervision of the UAE Central Bank and is fully collateralized with dirhams, designed to function as a compliant, instantly transferable digital counterpart to traditional money. Its appearance at fuel stations marks a milestone in the UAE’s gradual rollout of real-world blockchain payment tools.
Moving digital tokens into a sector as routine as fuel payments is significant: it tests how a regulated stablecoin performs at high volume, low friction and high frequency — a completely different environment from online transfers or limited pilot programs.
According to ADNOC Distribution CEO Eng. Bader Saeed Al Lamki, bringing stablecoin settlement to the retail level is part of a broader effort to modernize payment experiences while keeping transactions inside a fully regulated framework. The goal is not to replace cash or cards but to offer a digital alternative that can settle instantly and reduce friction.
A Glimpse of What Comes Next
If the rollout succeeds, it could accelerate additional use cases for AE Coin across public services, transportation and retail sectors — reinforcing the UAE’s ambition to become a global testing ground for compliant digital-asset infrastructure.
For now, ADNOC Distribution’s move serves as one of the clearest demonstrations of how a state-sanctioned stablecoin can move beyond laboratories and regulatory sandboxes into everyday consumer interactions.
