UAE’s Jaywan cards set for use across 183 countries under UnionPay deal

Dubai: UAE cardholders will be able to use Jaywan mono-badged cards at more than 100 million points of sale and 1.8 million ATMs across more than 183 countries and regions under a new agreement between Al Etihad Payments and UnionPay International.

The agreement will expand the international acceptance of Jaywan, the UAE’s domestic card scheme, through UnionPay’s global network.

Transactions conducted outside the UAE will be routed by UnionPay to the UAE National Switch, which is operated by Al Etihad Payments.

Global use expands

Al Etihad Payments, the owner and operator of the national switch and Jaywan domestic card scheme, signed the Memorandum of Understanding with UnionPay International at the company’s headquarters in Shanghai.

Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Chairman of Al Etihad Payments, and Dong Junfeng, Chairman of China UnionPay and UnionPay International, signed the agreement.

Al Dhaheri said the MoU represents an important step in supporting the global expansion of Jaywan and improving the efficiency of cross-border payments, while also facilitating trade, tourism and economic cooperation.

The collaboration also expands opportunities for the international use of Jaywan cards and strengthens the scheme’s position among global payment schemes.

Settlement arrangements to follow

A separate MoU will govern settlement arrangements, including settlement, liquidity and foreign exchange services, supporting the international expansion of Jaywan.

Junfeng said growing ties between China and the UAE are increasing demand for seamless cross-border payment services in trade and tourism.

"Building on the MoU on cross-border payments signed by the two central banks in 2025, these agreements will strengthen the global competitiveness and operational resilience of the UAE's domestic payment brand. Furthermore, this partnership will significantly improve local currency settlement efficiency and support bilateral trade ties," he said.

Existing partnership expands

The latest agreement builds on the existing partnership between Al Etihad Payments and UnionPay covering the issuance of co-badged Jaywan-UnionPay cards by financial institutions in the UAE.

Under that arrangement, domestic transactions are processed through the Jaywan scheme, while international transactions are processed through the UnionPay International network.