Introduction
On August 21, 2025, COVORO, in association with Premier Brains Global (PBG), offered a provocative webinar entitled "UAE E-Invoicing 2025: How Agentic AI is Turning Compliance into Competitive Advantage. "
The webinar featured Rahul Dev Swarnkar, CRO of COVORO and specialist in global compliance automation, and CA Sanjay Gagarani, Partner at Premier Brains Global, UAE. The webinar attracted finance leaders and compliance officers from a wide range of sectors, and compliance officers and technology decision-makers eager to learn what the UAE's new e-invoicing mandate will mean for their operations and how Agentic AI can shift the way they normally think about and undertake compliance from an obligation to a source of competitive advantage.
The State of E-Invoicing in the UAE
The UAE is joining the global rollout of digital tax reform. Following the Ministry of Finance roadmap:
- A dedicated e-invoicing portal opened in late 2024.
- Final legislation and accredited service providers (ASPs) will be identified by early 2025.
- Pilot testing commences for select piloted companies in Q2 2025.
- It is expected that mandating will begin for B2B and B2G mandatory invoicing in mid-2026.
Globally, e-invoicing has successfully rolled out in more than 75 countries as a means to reduce tax evasion and tax compliance loopholes.
Common Challenges and Myths in E-Invoicing
The webinar addressed several myths and complications that UAE businesses should get beyond:
Myth 1: Only VAT-registered companies need to comply.
Truth: All businesses conducting taxable activity (mainland & free zone) must comply.
Myth 2: E-invoicing is strictly about sales.
Truth: E-invoicing applies everywhere across accounts receivable, accounts payable, credit & debit notes, and even cross-border supplies.
Myth 3: You can just upgrade your ERP system, and you are done.
Truth: The 'e-invoicing' process involves 3 steps: integration with FTA-approved API, mapping your tax logic to tax authority checks, and governance checks to ensure the entire process works as planned.
Myth 4: E-invoicing will be a disruption, as it will be costly and hard to comply with.
Truth: The disruption phase can be an increase in errors or mistakes, and early adoption means faster payments, more efficiency, which will lead to faster onboarding.
Of these four myths, the most important ones of each of the relevant points were clarified to the attendees and were probably broad enough to ensure that compliance is seen as more than just a formality or burden, but rather as a portal to process excellence.
How Agentic AI Transforms E-Invoicing
COVORO demonstrated how Agentic AI is redefining automation by going beyond rule-based systems. Unlike traditional RPA or basic OCR tools, Agentic AI is autonomous, self-learning, and adaptive.
End-to-End Workflow with Agentic AI
Invoice Capture & Classification: Automatically processes invoices from emails, portals, or APIs in any format.
Accurate Data Extraction: Achieves >98% accuracy using advanced OCR + NLP.
Validation & Compliance Check: Ensures 99%+ compliance against UAE VAT rules, POs, and contracts.
Autonomous Exception Handling: Resolves up to 85% of errors without human intervention.
Smart Approval & ERP Integration: Routes invoices by priority and syncs instantly with ERPs.
Continuous Learning & Reporting: Improves with each transaction while delivering real-time compliance dashboards.
Key Differentiators Highlighted in the Webinar
- Decentralized Peppol-based compliance aligned with the UAE FTA’s DCTCE model.
- Touchless processing up to 95%, reducing manual workloads.
- Bulk automation for AR & AP invoices across 100+ ERP systems.
- Real-time monitoring & dashboards for full audit trails and compliance visibility.
- Future-proof adaptability as FTA updates rules or expands mandates.
The COVORO Advantage
COVORO provides proven scale and expertise, with:
135M+ e-invoices processed every year.
10,000+ customers in over 100 ERPs.
A global footprint in India, Malaysia, the UAE, Singapore, and the USA.
With built-in Agentic AI, COVORO balances compliance with efficiency while enhancing productivity and business intelligence, offering dashboards, reconciliations, and predictive analytics.
Learning from Malaysia’s success story
COVORO's Agentic AI has already demonstrated itself with Malaysia's MyInvois + Peppol mandate. By autonomously consuming invoices in many formats and interpreting their required XML schema, it achieved 95%+ automation, reduced errors to more than a minimum, and achieved real-time compliance. This success story is just one proven example or model for UAE businesses as they prepare for 2026.
In Conclusion
As both speakers stressed, e-invoicing in the UAE is not just a compliance requirement; it is a strategic lever. With Agentic AI-powered solutions, businesses can:
Ensure compliance with changing FTA requirements.
Reduce operating costs significantly while increasing speed and accuracy.
Enable finance teams to free themselves from mundane repetitive tasks to focus efforts on future growth.
Build greater trust and stronger supplier relationships through faster, error-free transactions.
For businesses in the UAE, it is a straightforward choice to see e-invoicing as a difficult thing to deal with and fall behind, or see it as a way to gain a competitive advantage.
Missed the Webinar?
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