Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and operator of the UAE's national card scheme Jaywan, has partnered with Mastercard to launch the world's first Jaywan-Mastercard co-badged credit card.

The partnership is aimed at expanding payment options in the UAE while connecting the country's domestic payment infrastructure to Mastercard's global network.

The collaboration also includes the development of new infrastructure for card payment switching and processing, as well as the establishment of a Mastercard operations centre in the UAE that will form part of the company's global network.

A New Chapter for Jaywan

The launch of the co-badged credit card will allow consumers to use Jaywan cards for domestic transactions while benefiting from Mastercard's international acceptance network.

Mastercard will serve as the primary international payment scheme for the Jaywan credit card programme, giving banks, fintech companies and merchants additional capabilities to offer secure and accessible payment services to consumers.

The partnership will also support Jaywan's debit, prepaid and credit card programmes through Mastercard's payment infrastructure and value-added services.

According to the companies, the new infrastructure will support both domestic and international payment flows, strengthening the UAE's position as a global financial and payments hub.

Mastercard Infrastructure Comes to the UAE

Under the agreement, Mastercard will deploy advanced payment infrastructure in the UAE covering transaction switching, processing and other payment services.

The partnership will also bring Mastercard's cybersecurity, fraud prevention and threat intelligence capabilities into the country's domestic payments ecosystem.

For financial institutions and businesses, the collaboration is expected to expand payment functionality while helping them respond to the growing demand for digital transactions.

"This collaboration represents a defining moment for the UAE's payments ecosystem. By combining national infrastructure with global innovation, we are strengthening sovereignty, resilience and choice, while accelerating the UAE's journey toward a future-ready financial system," said H.E. Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor for Banking Operations and Support Services at CBUAE and Chairman of Al Etihad Payments.

Strengthening the UAE's Digital Payments Ecosystem

The partnership brings together Al Etihad Payments' domestic payment infrastructure and Mastercard's global technology and payment network.

The companies said the collaboration will support banks, fintechs and merchants while expanding payment choice for consumers and strengthening the resilience of the UAE's financial infrastructure.

Mastercard President for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Dr. Dimitrios Dosis, said the partnership would combine global scale with local expertise to support trade, tourism and commerce in the UAE.

As the partnership develops, Al Etihad Payments and Mastercard plan to explore additional payment solutions aimed at supporting the UAE's digital transformation and strengthening its domestic payments ecosystem.