United Arab Emirates – October 15, 2025: United Arab Bank (UAB) is pleased to announce the successful issuance of the UAB Jaywan Prepaid Card, developed in collaboration with Network International, Idemia Secure Transactions, and Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE and the official operator of Jaywan, the UAE’s national card scheme.
The UAB Jaywan Prepaid Card is designed to provide customers with a secure, convenient, and fully localized digital payment solution, enabling them to make cashless transactions with confidence across the UAE. This initiative reflects UAB’s ongoing commitment to enhancing financial inclusion and supporting the nation’s vision of a secure, innovative, and inclusive digital payments ecosystem.
The official launch ceremony was attended by Mr. Shirish Bhide, Chief Executive Officer of United Arab Bank, Mr. Emre Yalcin, Head of Retail Banking at United Arab Bank, Mr. Abdulla AlTaee, Chief Operating Officer at United Arab Bank, and Murat Cagri Suzer, Group Chief Executive Officer of Network International; along with key executives from both organisations.
Shirish Bhide, Chief Executive Officer at UAB, commented: “This launch aligns with the UAE’s vision of financial inclusion, innovation and digital sovereignty in payments. As a home-grown bank with a 50-year legacy, UAB takes pride in supporting national payments infrastructure and contribute to a more resilient and efficient ecosystem. As we look ahead, UAB will continue to collaborate closely with the Central Bank of the UAE and Al Etihad Payments to further enhance financial accessibility and ensuring and help drive nation’s cashless economy agenda.”
Emre Yalcin, Head of Retail Banking at UAB, commented: “At UAB, our Retail Banking value proposition is built around the needs of families — helping them manage, budget and spend in a safe and flexible way. The Jaywan Prepaid Card is central to this proposition: it’s designed for everyday use, from kids’ allowances to household budgeting. Looking ahead, we see the Jaywan Prepaid Card and the wider suite of Jaywan products evolving into multi-functional digital payment experiences — linked to wallets, loyalty programs, and family financial management tools. As we expand our offerings, UAB will continue to innovate responsibly with our technology partners, Network International and IDEMIA, always keeping our customers and their real needs at the heart of everything we do.”
Murat Cagri Suzer, Group Chief Executive Officer of Network International, added, “At Network International, partnerships are central to how we innovate and scale and, we are proud to extend our expertise to power the technical readiness of the UAB Jaywan Prepaid Card for United Arab Bank. The card aligns with our commitment to drive simpler, smarter, secure and inclusive end-to-end solutions that serve both consumers and merchants, while helping to shape the UAE’s digital future.”
The prepaid card and digital wallet market in the United Arab Emirates is set to grow by 12.7% annually, reaching a value of USD 8.28 billion in 2025, driven by increased digital acceptance, national objectives and strategic collaborative efforts. The momentum is set to continue with a projected compound annual growth rate of 10.7% during 2025 - 2029, potentially expanding the market size to USD 12.43 billion by 2029.
About Network International
Network International is the Middle East and Africa’s leading fintech company. Our purpose is to help businesses and economies grow by simplifying payments and commerce. We serve a diverse ecosystem of banks, fintechs, telcos, merchants, governments, and public sector entities spanning 50+ countries – empowering our partners with innovative technology, value-added services, and deep expertise in payment systems and infrastructure. Our 3,000+ team strength on the ground works closely with 250+ financial institutions and 240,000+ merchants to deliver reliable, scalable, and future-ready payment and fintech solutions across the region.
For more information, please download the PDF here.
For further information please visit www.uab.ae, or contact:
Abdulla Al Fardan
Head of Marketing & Communications
Direct Line: + 97165075907
Mobile: +971558499949
Email: Abdulla.AlFardan@uab.ae
