Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), which operates the UAE’s national card switch (UAESWITCH) and the domestic card scheme Jaywan, on Monday, March 10, signed an agreement with Visa to introduce co-badged ‘Jaywan-Visa’ debit and prepaid cards in the country.

With both Jaywan and Visa logos on the cards, customers will be able to pay securely in the UAE and at Visa’s more than 150 million merchant partners across 200 countries and territories while traveling abroad or shopping online.

The introduction of the Jaywan-Visa co-badged cards strengthens ongoing efforts to support the UAE authorities’ ambition to accelerate the transition towards a digital economy.

Al Etihad Payments and Visa will collaborate with local financial institutions, fintech companies, and merchant partners to issue co-badged cards, offering a range of benefits and value-added services tailored to market needs.

Under this agreement, domestic transactions will be processed via UAESWITCH, while cross-border transactions outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region will be handled through Visa’s global network, VisaNet.

“Jaywan represents a key step in strengthening the UAE’s financial infrastructure, providing a locally rooted payment solution that fosters economic growth and digital transformation. Through this partnership between Al Etihad Payments and Visa, we are establishing a seamless, secure, and efficient card payment ecosystem that aligns with the UAE’s vision for innovation and financial empowerment.”

Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor for Banking Operations and Support Services at CBUAE and Chairman of Al Etihad Payments, said.

“With around 30 percent of payments still made with cash, we look forward to implementing this agreement and continuing our collaboration with industry partners to extend the benefits of digital payments to more consumers and businesses, as well as the wider UAE economy.”

Dr Saeeda Jaffar, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for the GCC, said.

In February, the Central Bank announced that the UAE’s financial infrastructure is fully prepared to support the launch of Jaywan, the country’s first domestic card, both locally and internationally.