What is Jaywan? Everything you need to know about UAE’s national payment card

Dubai: The UAE has officially rolled out Jaywan, the country’s first national card payment scheme, marking a significant milestone in the development of its financial infrastructure and digital economy. Operated by Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), Jaywan is designed to provide a secure, efficient and locally managed payment network for consumers and businesses across the country. On 20 July 2026, His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), officially inaugurated Jaywan and announced the start of card issuance through banks, licensed financial institutions and exchange houses across the UAE. Consumers can now begin obtaining and using Jaywan cards. What is Jaywan? Jaywan is the UAE’s national card payment scheme. It has been developed to support domestic payment processing through a locally governed network and is available across debit, prepaid and credit card products. The name 'Jaywan' comes from Arabic and means 'precious pearl. Who is behind Jaywan? Jaywan is backed by the Central Bank of the UAE and operated by Al Etihad Payments (AEP), the CBUAE subsidiary responsible for developing and managing the country’s payment infrastructure. The nationwide rollout of Jaywan began in July 2026 through banks, licensed financial institutions and exchange houses across the UAE. Why was Jaywan created? According to the Central Bank and Al Etihad Payments, Jaywan has been established to strengthen the UAE’s payments ecosystem and support the country’s digital transformation goals. Its objectives include: Strengthening the UAE’s sovereignty over its financial infrastructure. Supporting secure and efficient domestic payment processing. Providing a domestic payment alternative that can help reduce transaction costs. Promoting financial inclusion and wider access to digital payments. Enhancing the resilience and competitiveness of the UAE’s financial sector. What types of Jaywan cards are available? Jaywan supports multiple card categories, including: Debit cards Prepaid cards Credit cards These products are being introduced by participating banks, licensed financial institutions and exchange houses. First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has already launched the Jaywan Debit Card , while Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has introduced Jaywan Prepaid Cards. Can Jaywan be used internationally? Yes. To enable international usage, Al Etihad Payments has signed partnerships with global payment networks including Visa, Mastercard, Discover and UnionPay. Depending on the card type issued by participating institutions, co-badged Jaywan cards can be used both within the UAE and internationally. Where can Jaywan cards be used? Jaywan cards can be used across a wide range of payment channels, including: Point-of-sale terminals E-commerce platforms ATMs Digital wallets Contactless payment services The cards support modern payment technologies, including Chip and PIN authentication, contactless payments and tokenised digital wallet transactions. How can consumers get a Jaywan card? Jaywan cards are being issued in phases by UAE banks, licensed financial institutions and exchange houses. Eligibility requirements and application procedures vary depending on the issuing institution and the type of card being offered. Jaywan represents a major step forward in the UAE’s efforts to build a more secure, efficient and locally managed payments ecosystem. Backed by the Central Bank of the UAE and supported by leading financial institutions, the national card scheme is expected to play an increasingly important role in everyday transactions while supporting the country’s broader digital economy ambitions.