UAE PropTech Startup Rewa Reimagines Rent as a Rewards Economy
The value proposition is straightforward: the same rental obligation, augmented by tangible rewards.
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[Image source: Chetan Jha/MITSMR Middle East]
A UAE-based proptech venture aims to modernize one of the region’s most entrenched financial practices: rent payments.
Rewa has officially launched its digital rent payment and rewards app across the UAE, introducing a card- and bank-transfer-based solution that integrates with existing rental structures while offering tenants loyalty-style rewards on their largest recurring expense.
The rollout follows the company’s seed funding round, backed by Qatar Development Bank, Plug and Play, Neocity Invest, Startup Wise Guys, Second Century Ventures (REACH MENA), and senior executives from leading GCC real estate firms. Terms of the round were not disclosed.
Modernizing a Cheque-Based Ecosystem
Despite the UAE’s advanced digital infrastructure, rent payments remain largely dependent on post-dated cheques and manual reconciliation processes. Rewa’s model is designed to work within the existing legal and operational framework rather than replace it.
Tenants can pay rent via card or bank transfer through the Rewa app, available on iOS and Android. Each on-time payment earns points, which can be redeemed with more than 150 global and local partners and may also be applied toward future rent, utilities, or long-term housing goals with select UAE developers.
The value proposition is straightforward: the same rental obligation, augmented by tangible rewards.
Operational Efficiency for Landlords
On the supply side, Rewa positions itself as a collections infrastructure layer for landlords and property managers. The platform offers automated payment tracking, digital receipts, and workflows aligned with UAE rental practices, including DLD/Ejari-aligned processes and cheque-like safeguards.
By reducing manual follow-ups and improving payment visibility, the company aims to enhance cash flow predictability without requiring landlords to alter established contractual structures.
Rewa Alliance, the company’s landlord onboarding platform, is now open to UAE landlords and property managers. According to the company, onboarding requires only minutes, carries no setup fees, and has already attracted boutique landlords, mid-sized portfolios, and institutional operators.
Applying Loyalty Economics to Housing
“Rent is often the largest recurring expense in people’s lives, yet tenants in Dubai have historically received nothing in return, and still pay rent through cheques,” said Ramzi Mneimneh, Founder of Rewa. “We’ve applied proven loyalty models from the airline and hotel industries to rent, creating a system that rewards tenants while improving cash flow and efficiency for landlords.”
The comparison reflects a broader fintech and proptech trend: embedding loyalty mechanics into traditionally static expense categories to drive behavioral change and platform stickiness.
“This is the Middle East’s answer to what Bilt Rewards has accomplished in the US,” said Najib Khanafer, Co-Founder and CEO of Rewa. “Our private beta proved the demand for online rent payments and collection. Now we’re scaling nationwide and broadening the rewards network. Rent should work harder for tenants and smarter for landlords.”
Scaling Across the GCC
Rewa participated in the Dubai Land Department’s Real Estate Evolution Space (REES) innovation program and operates in alignment with UAE consumer protection and financial regulations.
The newly secured funding will support expansion across Dubai, with plans to scale throughout the UAE and into wider GCC markets.
As the region’s property sector continues its digital transformation, platforms like Rewa signal a shift toward embedded finance and loyalty ecosystems in real estate, potentially redefining how rent functions within household financial portfolios.
