Engine by Starling Opens Dubai Office to Accelerate Middle East Expansion

Engine by Starling, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business born from the UK’s Starling Bank, has chosen Dubai for its first Middle East office as it builds relationships with ambitious financial institutions across the region.

The UAE offers an excellent opportunity for Engine by Starling to serve banks and financial institutions that want to update their technology platforms and deliver seamless digital experiences to customers. Engine considers the UAE as both a strategic growth market in itself and a launchpad for further regional expansion in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, where demand for next-generation banking technology continues to accelerate.

Sona Raichoora will lead the Dubai office as Regional Manager and will now hire local talent to fill engineering, product development and delivery roles.

Sam Everington, CEO of Engine by Starling, said: “Opening in Dubai is a natural next step for us as we scale Engine globally. The UAE is home to one of the world’s most dynamic financial ecosystems, and by establishing a dedicated local team here, we can help banks across the region reimagine what technology can do for them.”

Engine by Starling was born of Starling Bank, a leading UK digital bank, to take Starling’s proprietary tech stack to financial institutions overseas. Its first customer, Salt Bank, became Romania’s first digital-native bank in 2024 and has since captured 4% of the country’s banking market. Earlier this year AMP in Australia launched a new digital bank, AMP Bank GO, targeting small businesses built on Engine’s core banking platform. Both programmes were delivered within 12 months.