Al Etihad Payments, a national affiliate of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with UnionPay International to ensure global acceptance of the UAE’s national “Jaywan” mono-badged payment cards in over 183 countries and regions around the world.
This historic cross-border collaboration agreement, which was signed at the UnionPay International Global Headquarters in Shanghai, marks a huge milestone for the UAE’s national card programme. Under this partnership, holders of Jaywan cards will have access to the vast acceptance network of UnionPay comprising over 100 million merchant point-of-sale terminals and 1.8 million ATMs.
The agreement was formally signed by Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Chairman of Al Etihad Payments, and Dong Junfeng, Chairman of China UnionPay and UnionPay International. Under the defined technical framework, UnionPay will route all Jaywan card transactions conducted outside the United Arab Emirates directly back to the UAE National Switch operated by Al Etihad Payments. Specialised financial settlement procedures will be governed under a secondary accord, providing necessary liquidity management, currency clearing, and foreign exchange services.
Al Dhaheri emphasised that the accord represents a major structural milestone in accelerating Jaywan’s global reach, lowering cross-border transaction fees while supporting international trade, tourism, and bilateral economic cooperation. Dong Junfeng noted that the strategic partnership reflects deepening financial ties between China and the UAE, building upon a foundational 2025 central bank cross-border cooperation agreement to boost the operational resilience, efficiency, and global competitiveness of the UAE’s payment systems.
By connecting the domestic Jaywan framework directly into established international payment rails, the Central Bank of the UAE is strengthening local currency settlement options while offering cost-effective, secure digital payment solutions for residents, tourists, and commercial enterprises operating internationally. The initiative marks a significant advancement in the UAE’s ongoing national payment strategy, reducing reliance on external processing networks while positioning the country’s sovereign financial infrastructure on the global stage.
