1. Introduction

This document aims to explain the role of the Trust Framework in the Open Finance UAE Program and how technical users from LFIs and TPPs are expected to interact with it. Its content is derived from the https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/ Documentation, which is referenced multiple times within this document.

The Sandbox Trust Framework can be accessed at the following link:

• Web Application : https://web.sandbox.directory.openfinance.ae/

• OIDC Discovery API : https://auth.sandbox.directory.openfinance.ae/.well-known/openid-configuration

The Production Trust Framework can be accessed at the following link:

• Web Application : https://web.directory.openfinance.ae/

• OIDC Discovery API :https://auth.directory.openfinance.ae/.well-known/openid-configuration

The Sandbox and the Production environments are functionally the same, with the Sandbox environment serving as a testing ground for institutions to use before they start consuming/publishing APIs on the Production Environment.

2. Role of the Trust Framework

The Trust Framework enables secure data sharing between LFIs and TPPs by providing API discovery, client onboarding and client authentication functionalities. Key roles executed by the Trust Framework in the ecosystem include:

• Trust Anchors:

  • Provide a registry of authorized participants and their scope of access within the ecosystem.

• API Portal:

  • Provide a registry of all the servers, clients, and APIs in the ecosystem.

• Keystore:

  • Provide a registry of all active keys for each participant, allowing them to recover those keys and use them to validate each other's identity, enabling trust—a key requirement for data sharing.

• PKI:

  • A public key infrastructure that enables the issuance and management of TLS, signature, and encryption certificates.

  • Provides mechanisms to verify the certificates generated on the platform PKI.

It is important to note that no consumer data passes through the Trust Framework, with the platform serving as a facilitator for secure data exchange.

For more details, visit the https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/trust-framework-types#MonDi and the https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/centralized-directory on the Raidiam Connect Documentation.

3. LFIs Responsibilities

LFIs, or users acting on behalf of LFIs, need to execute the following actions on the Trust Framework:

• Sign Participation Documents

  • To fully onboard on the Ecosystem all participants - LFIs, TPPs and VASPs, are expected to issue and sign the Ecosystem participation Document on Docusign.

• Ensure Server Certificates are Valid:

  • Generate transport, signing and encryption certificates on the Trust Framework; rotating them at least once every 12 months (certificate expiration is set at 13 months).

• Ensure Published APIs are Valid and Certified:

  • Publish the API endpoints and ensure the correct version is available before any defined ecosystem go-live date.

  • Ensure server metadata is always up to date, including server logo, server description and customer-facing name.

• Integrate with Directory for Onboarding:

  • Integrate with the Trust Framework registration endpoints, ensuring all clients registered are onboarded and validated following the ecosystem Registration Framework

• Integrate Authentication:

  • Integrate with the Trust Framework JWKS endpoints, recovering client public keys when validating message signatures and executing message encryption.

  • Integrate with the Directory OCSP/CRL services, verifying that used certificates are valid and up-to-date.

Points 1 and 2 are covered in this guide as they require active directory usage. Points 3 and 4 are programmatically done and are detailed in the Ecosystem API Security Documentation.

4. LFIs Quick Access Guide

This guide assumes that the LFI has submitted all required documentation and passed all necessary KYBs and KYC requirements for entry into the ecosystem(Onboarding Process | 2.1 KYC/KYB Prerequisites ).

4.1 Creating an Account

Upon being granted access to the Trust Framework (as an Organisation Administrator or Organisation User), you will receive an email with a link to the platform. Follow these steps to create your account using the same email address provided for access:

1. Click the link in the email to navigate to the Trust Framework registration page.

2. Enter your email address and follow the prompts to set up your account credentials.

The image below illustrates the registration steps for first-time users or when logging in to the platform:

Open

Open

Important: The Sandbox and Production environments of the Trust Framework use separate Identity Providers (IDPs). Therefore, you must complete two separate registrations: one for the Sandbox environment and another for the Production environment.

4.2 Signing the Terms & Conditions Document

As part of the Ecosystem Registration process, the First Primary Business Contact (PBC) of the Institution, upon receiving access to the Sandbox Trust Framework, must issue the Ecosystem Terms & Conditions Document. This document requires signatures from the legal representatives of the Institution.

Access to the Production Environment will be granted once this document is signed by the legal representatives and validated by the AlTareq team responsible for the onboarding process.

Issuing the Document - PBC :

The image below outlines the steps the PBC should follow when issuing the Ecosystem Participation Document:

Important: The Legal Representatives appointed on the process above are required to have enough powers to represent the Institutions as defined on the Institution’s Statutory Documents.

Signing the Document - Legal Representatives :

The appointed legal representatives will receive an email prompting them to sign the document via DocuSign.

The process to sign the document should be straightforward, with each representative being required to click on the “Review Document” button on the Docusign E-mail and follow the steps on the screen.

Validation and Receiving Production TF Access:

• Once the document is signed by all legal representatives, the AlTareq team will validate it.

• Upon confirmation of the signatures, the appointed PBC will also be granted access to the Production Environment, where they can now onboard additional users.

For more information on the Terms and Conditions and how the Directory handles them, please refer to the documentation available at Terms & Conditions - Raidiam Connect Documentation .

4.3 Onboarding Additional Users

Organisation Administrators can onboard new Organisation Administrators as well as technical Users - Raidiam Connect Documentation .

The Initial List of Users Supported on the Trust Framework can be seen in the table below :

User management, including adding or removing users in the Trust Framework, can be done using the platform UI. Detailed instructions can be found at Add Users - Raidiam Connect Documentation

Additional User types can be configured on the platform to grant access to other platforms of the Ecosystem, like, for example, a “Primary Service Desk Contact", which would have access to the AlTareq Service Desk, but not necessarily anything on the Trust Framework or the Api Hub.

4.4 Registering Servers and APIs

LFIs are responsible for maintaining an up-to-date registry of their Authorisation Servers - Raidiam Connect Documentation and API Resources - Raidiam Connect Documentation that they support the Open Finance Schema. Only valid and accessible resources should be included in the Trust Framework to ensure an interoperable data access journey for TPPs.

The Data Provider Resource allows Organisations to register details of their OAuth 2.0 Authorization Servers (Open ID Providers), which manage client access to participant-protected APIs.

The interaction rules between clients and Authorization Server endpoints are outlined in the CBUAE FAPI 2.0 Standards.

4.4.1 Server Discovery Metadata

When creating a new server, Data Providers (Licensed Financial Institutions or LFIs) and TPPs will use the following fields to provide information about the server to existing users. These fields should be filled out with relevant information that accurately describes the services and the application to ensure optimal discovery by the end users.

Once registered in the Trust Framework, the Authorization Server can be recovered via the Trust Framework APIs, notably the Participants Public API.

Instructions on how to register an Authorization Server can be found at https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/add-data-provider

4.4.2 Registering API Resources

Participants can register https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/xwL5-api-resources for the products and services they offer on the schema. Only approved API endpoints and versions for go-live should be added to the Trust Framework.

Instructions on how to add and maintain API resources are available at Manage APIs for Discovery and Integration - Raidiam Connect Documentation

Details about the API resources can be obtained through the same Participants Public API accessible under - https://data.directory.openfinance.ae/participants

4.4.3 Registering Certifications

LFIs are required to register their acquired certifications under the “Server Certifications” for every Data Provider/Server registered under the Trust Framework

The Certification Framework defines that LFIs must obtain their LFI Customer Experience Certification following the steps outlined on the Certification Framework.

Once this certification is obtained the LFI is required to register it on the Trust Framework following the steps outlined on Publish Authorisation Server Certification - Raidiam Connect Documentation

Use the following table as a reference of what must be provided when a new Certification is registered:

4.5 Creating Server Certificates

There are three types of server certificates, each serving different purposes. Detailed information about server certificates can be found in the Certificate Standard .

Instructions on creating server certificates are available at Manage Certificates for Organisation - Raidiam Connect Documentation

Servers must use valid TLS certificates to protect registered resources in the Trust Framework, with a policy to update these certificates at least once every 12 months.

5. TPPs Quick Access Guide

This guide assumes that the TPP has completed the onboarding process, including submitting all required documentation and passing all necessary KYBs and KYC requirements(Onboarding Process | 2.1 KYC/KYB Prerequisites ).

There is no logical difference between Organisation Entries used by TPPs or LFIs. Therefore, the procedures for creating accounts, signing documents, and onboarding for TPPs are the same as for LFIs.

5.1 Creating an Account

Refer to the https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TFDocsv3/pages/edit-v2/183468054#4.1-Creating-an-Account section.

5.2 Signing the Terms & Conditions Document

The process for a TPP to sign the Terms & Conditions Document is similar to the process for LFIs, with the primary difference being the document type: "TPP - Terms & Conditions."

Access to the Production Environment will be granted once the document is signed and reviewed by the AlTareq team.

Refer to the https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TFDocsv3/pages/edit-v2/183468054#4.2-Signing-the-Terms-%26-Conditions-Document section for more details.

5.3 Onboarding Additional Users

Refer to the https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TFDocsv3/pages/edit-v2/183468054#4.3-Onboarding-Additional-Users section.

5.4 Registering Applications

The Applications Resource allows Organisations to register details of their OpenID Relying Parties (Clients), which interact with OAuth 2.0 Authorization Servers to access protected APIs. The interaction rules are outlined in the https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/standardsv1final/pages/151846988 document.

When creating an Application in the Trust Framework, participants can select the regulatory roles for the client, which define the types of APIs the client can access. The instructions on how to create new Applications Can be found on https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/add-and-manage-applications

5.4.1 Roles

https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/roles dictate the rights and permissions that each Application can have on the Open Finance Schema.

Roles will be initially granted to Organisations once they are onboarded on the Ecosystem and they will reflect the Technical Access Scopes that the Applications of this Organisation can have on the Schema.

When creating an Application it’s important to include all the Roles that this Application should have in the Ecosystem to ensure it will be able to properly register with all the Data Providers in the Ecosystem

A Table Containing all the Roles and the Technical Access Scopes that they can grant on the Ecosystem can be found below :

5.4.2 Application Discovery Metadata

When creating a new Application, three fields will be used by the AlTareq Platforms to display the available Open Finance applications and use cases for the end users.

Those three fields should be filled out with relevant information that describes the services and the application to ensure optimal discovery by the end users.

5.4.3 Shari’ah compliance flag

When registering/editing an Application a Field called “Flags” is available to be edited by the User.

This field will include the parameter “Shariah Compliant” with two options “True” and “False”. When registering an Application it’s required that the Shari’ah compliance information is added by the Participant on the Trust Framework (OFTF). This compliance information ensures that financial services and applications align with Shari’ah principles for users who require it.

Once registered, this information will be recovered via the Trust Framework APIs by the Data Providers on the Ecosystem, informing this on the Consent Authorization Flow.

Details about how the Shari'ah compliance will be informed to the end users can be seen on : https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/standardsv1final/pages/151850813/Common+Rules+and+Guidelines#21.-Shari%E2%80%99ah-compliance-of-TPP

5.4.3 Registering Certifications

Clients are only authorized to Operate on the Ecosystem once they have passed their full set of certifications defined on the Certification Framework, including their FAPI 2.0 UAE Relying Party Certification.

Instructions on obtaining the Certifications can be seen on the Certification Framework documentation. All Obtained Certifications must be registered on the Clients before they start executing connections to LFIs/Data Providers in production.

Instructions on how to register a Certification can be found on https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/manage-application-certifications . For the “Certification Payload” field, the Participant is expected to provide the URI that points to the .zip file provided on the OIDF Certification Table, for the FAPI 2 RP - UAE Profile

Use the following table as a reference of what must be provided when a new Certification is registered:

5.5 Creating Client Certificates

There are three types of client certificates, each with specific use cases. Detailed information about client certificates can be found in the Certificate Standard

Instructions on creating server certificates are available at Manage Certificates for Organisation - Raidiam Connect Documentation

Servers must validate the certificates and signatures used by clients on each new connection and authentication request. If a client uses a revoked or expired certificate, the server will deny the request.

5.6 Connecting with Data Providers

Once client certificates are created, TPPs can start accessing customer data/services by connecting to the registered Authorization Servers and Resource Servers using the provided credentials.

5.6.1 Data Providers Discovery

The first step is to discover all the resources registered by the LFIs in the Directory, which can be done using the Participants Public API - https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/receive-data#l9cWY / https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/find-data-providers-via-public-api

The Participant's Public APIs provide a single response in JSON format that contains information about all the Data Providers registered on the Ecosystem, including all their metadata and API Information, allowing a single call to provide all the information about who offers what product and the endpoint to access it on the AlTareq Platform.

The Technical Requirements around API and Server discovery are outlined on the security standards, on the https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/standardsv1final/pages/151847050

5.6.2 Establishing Connection with Servers

After retrieving all the resources, clients can call the Authorization Server token and PAR endpoints, as outlined in the https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/standardsv1final/pages/151846988 document.

Note: Clients are not required to undergo an active registration step in the Registration Framework; servers will accept all incoming valid requests from clients.

6 Additional Information

This section provides insights into aspects of the Trust Framework that go beyond the data exchange processes between LFIs and TPPs, offering a broader view of the platform’s capabilities.

6.1 Organisation Flags

Once a participant is onboarded into the Trust Framework, the Nebras team configures a set of metadata flags known as "Organisation Flags." These flags indicate whether an institution supports certain services or products that fall outside the current scope of Open Finance but may be relevant for future integrations. For example, an institution might support "House Insurance Policies" but may not have an active API family for these products yet. The development of APIs for such services could still be in progress.

In essence, Organisation Flags outline the expected products or services that an LFI should share, while https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TFDocsv3/pages/edit-v2/183468054#4.4.2-Registering-API-Resources reflect what they are currently sharing.

Flags included on the Trust Framework Participants can be reviewed under the "Flags" object via the https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/participants-api

6.2 Accessing Data from the Trust Framework

Any registered application on the Trust Framework can access non-PII (Personally Identifiable Information) data, regardless of the roles assigned to the client. Here's how to retrieve this data:

6.2.1 Public APIs

Public APIs are endpoints that don't require authentication, allowing any application to interact with them without using a TLS certificate or undergoing OAuth 2.0 authentication. Below are the available public APIs in the Trust Framework:

6.2.2 mTLS Protected APIs

The mTLS Protected APIs can only be accessed by Applications that have been registered with the Trust Framework and hold valid TLS/Transport certificates issued by authorized Certificate Authorities (CAs) within the Trust Framework.

Instructions on how to generate an Application are described on https://openfinanceuae.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TFDocsv3/pages/edit-v2/183468054#5.4-Registering-Applications

To access these protected APIs, the participant must first generate an access token with the directory: software scope by calling the token endpoint using the client_credentials grant type. Instructions for obtaining the token can be found on https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/client-credentials-flow-obtain-access-token#YzDfh

Token Endpoints:

• Sandbox: https://matls-auth.sandbox.directory.openfinance.ae/token

• Production: https://matls-auth.directory.openfinance.ae/token

After obtaining the access token, it can be used to access GET operations for all Trust Framework APIs that do not return personal data.

• The Swagger documentation for the TF API is available here: https://api.connect.raidiam.io/source.yaml

• The API Host URls are:

  • Sandbox: https://matls-api.sandbox.directory.openfinance.ae

  • Production: https://matls-api.directory.openfinance.ae

An example request against the Trust Framework Protected APIs can be found https://docs.connect.raidiam.io/find-all-applications