On Wednesday, 28 January, ADCB Egypt, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) Group, announced its partnership with Swiss tech company Temenos. 

The collaboration allows ADCB Egypt to process SWIFT payments for its customers using the ISO 20022 messaging standard, which replaced legacy systems in November 2025. 

The new format provides better structured data that improves accuracy and is also more effective when it comes to analytics. It reduces the need for manual intervention and supports end-to-end automation. 

ISO 20022 also operates as a flexible standard, acting as a universal language and improving interoperability across different banks and platforms. Using a common XML-based format, it removes the need for costly translation between standards.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), interoperability in digital finance is now “more than a ‘nice-to-have’.” Harmonised standards allow for improved monitoring of compliance and help ensure regulation is upheld across fragmented systems. 

This new technology also enables ADCB Egypt to integrate its platforms for core banking and payments, making operations easier and leaving room for scale as the bank continues to expand. 

On the larger ambition behind the partnership, Ihab Elswerkey, CEO and Managing Director of ADCB Egypt, said, “This milestone aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030  by strengthening the financial infrastructure and enabling a more inclusive, digitally driven banking ecosystem.” 

Egypt’s Vision 2030 is a framework outlining the country’s national goals for sustainable development. This involves building a competitive economy while shifting toward financial inclusion; ambitions that hinge on the adoption of digital solutions that bring greater harmony and efficiency.