The United Arab Emirates is taking greater control of its payments ecosystem with the launch of Jaywan debit, credit, and prepaid cards—the first products issued under the country’s national payments scheme.
Operated by Al Etihad Payments under the Central Bank of the UAE, Jaywan processes transactions through domestic infrastructure rather than relying solely on international payment networks.
The UAE’s leading banks have already begun rolling out aspects of the scheme. First Abu Dhabi Bank has launched a Jaywan debit card, while Commercial Bank of Dubai is offering Jaywan prepaid cards. Dubai-based payment service provider Network International is enabling online acceptance across thousands of merchants in the UAE.
As a result, Jaywan cards are now accepted at point-of-sale terminals, e-commerce platforms, ATMs, and digital wallets. They support contactless payments, online purchases, and cash withdrawals, with the potential to facilitate both domestic and international transactions.
Bringing the Data Home
The introduction of Jaywan also expands the UAE’s domestic payments capabilities. Al Etihad Payments operates the network through which card transactions are routed, authorized, and settled, allowing more payments to be processed locally rather than through international payment processors.
Despite having one of the world’s highest GDPs per capita, the UAE has historically relied on international payment networks to process most domestic card transactions. Vice President Sheikh Mansour, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, has said that Jaywan will strengthen the country’s sovereignty over its financial infrastructure while helping ensure that domestic payments data remains within the UAE.
Fostering Acceptance
Jaywan also supports the UAE’s broader shift toward digital payments. Data from Standard Chartered Bank in Dubai found that two-thirds of consumers in the UAE expect the country to become a fully cashless society by 2030.
To encourage merchant adoption, Network International said businesses using its payment gateway would not incur additional fees for accepting Jaywan transactions.
