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Dubizzle Group, the Dubai-based classifieds operator behind Bayut and dubizzle, has made a strategic investment in Tern, the UAE rental rewards platform, and will integrate the product exclusively into both of its property portals. Terms were not disclosed.
The investment was made through Dubizzle Group Ventures, the group's venture arm focused on early-stage techn startups across the GCC. The integration lets tenants pay rent by credit card and earn Tern Rewards points, redeemable across retail, travel and lifestyle merchants, with the company saying there are no added fees or premiums for paying by card.
Founded in 2024 by Said Al Sayyed and Mohamad Shaitou and launched in May 2025, Tern bills itself as the UAE's first dedicated rental rewards platform, building a loyalty network connecting tenants, landlords, banks and merchants.
The startup operates under the Dubai Land Department's Real Estate Evolution Space (REES) initiative and raised a $1.5 million pre-seed last year. It says it now processes more than AED 150 million in annualised rent payment volume.
For Dubizzle, the deal extends its property offering beyond search and listings into the payments layer of the rental journey. Haider Ali Khan, CEO of Dubizzle Group UAE, said rent is one of the largest recurring household expenses yet has traditionally offered tenants little flexibility or added value.
Surya Raviganesh, who leads the group's investments, said half the UAE's population uses one of its platforms each month, pointing to synergies with businesses that can draw on that audience. The group reports 58 million monthly visits and 20 million monthly users across its platforms.
The Tern deal resumes a run of investments and acquisitions Dubizzle made in the lead-up to its planned float. In 2024 and 2025 the group bought Egyptian car marketplace Hatla2ee, UAE automotive platform Drive Arabia, and real estate intelligence firm Property Monitor, before last October announcing a roughly $2 billion Dubai IPO and postponing it a day before bookbuilding was due to begin, saying it would assess the optimal timing for a listing in future.
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