Zamanat announced its sponsorship of a tokenized private credit fund targeting an estimated $250 billion SME financing gap across the Gulf Cooperation Council. The entity, named Zamanat Fund CEIC Limited, operates from the Dubai International Financial Centre with a target size of up to $100 million. Only 11 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises across the region currently maintain access to formal credit channels.
Addressing GCC SME Financing Deficits
Small and medium-sized businesses serve as central drivers of regional growth while remaining underserved by standard commercial lenders. In the United Arab Emirates, SMEs generate over 50 percent of the gross domestic product and employ most private-sector workers. However, these enterprises receive less than 10 percent of total bank lending according to industry data.
The investment vehicle allocates resources directly to established local companies whose financial requirements exceed typical banking provisions. This deployment aligns with economic development goals outlined in Saudi Arabia‘s Vision 2030 program and the UAE Centennial 2071 initiative.
“Strong businesses across the GCC still struggle to access growth capital despite sound fundamentals. Zamanat sponsored the Fund to create a credible route between those businesses and institutional capital.”
Umair Tariq, Founder and CEO of Zamanat
Structure of the Tokenized Private Credit Fund
The fund structure operates as a closed-ended credit fund regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Registered as an Exempt Fund, it issues interests as ZM1 Investment Tokens on ZIGChain. This digital mechanism establishes a blockchain-native ownership layer without altering the underlying investment asset profile.
Truleum Venture Partners Limited serves as fund manager, directing all regulated investment activities. Apex Group functions as the fund administrator, handling operational administration and governance oversight. The participation framework remains restricted to investors who qualify under DFSA Professional Client regulatory standards.
Expanding Digital Shariah Asset Capabilities
Global Islamic finance assets are projected to reach $9.7 trillion by 2029 based on reports from LSEG and ICD. Zamanat continues to develop institutional channels for digital financial assets, supported by lead investor Disrupt.com through its AI-native venture building platform. The broader operational pipeline covers receivables, real estate, and tokenized private credit fund assets across regional markets.
Although Zamanat focuses on creating digital Islamic asset frameworks, the fund itself is not an Islamic fund and is not marketed as Shariah-compliant. The project represents an operational deployment of regulated digital distribution for institutional private credit.
Institutional Market Outlook
The deployment demonstrates digital asset integration within established financial regulations in the Middle East. Through this tokenized private credit fund, institutional capital can access regional private lending markets while maintaining regulatory compliance.
