The UAE just moved another piece of its payment stack onto home turf. CBD has joined the early group of banks issuing Jaywan prepaid cards, structured through a corporate setup yet intended for everyday retail use. Pretty big infrastructure move hiding inside a simple card launch.
Al Etihad Payments runs Jaywan under the Central Bank of the UAE, keeping domestic transactions inside local rails. The scheme covers debit, prepaid, and credit products across stores, websites, and ATMs, with tap payments and tokenized wallet support baked into the system.
Andrea Ciancetti sees prepaid access as a way to reach broader customer groups. Aisha Almazrouei frames CBD’s rollout as a step toward a more self-reliant financial network. The practical takeaway is straightforward. CBD gets a locally anchored card product, customers gain another flexible payment option, and the country strengthens control over its digital transaction layer.
Al Etihad Payments runs Jaywan under the Central Bank of the UAE, keeping domestic transactions inside local rails. The scheme covers debit, prepaid, and credit products across stores, websites, and ATMs, with tap payments and tokenized wallet support baked into the system.
Andrea Ciancetti sees prepaid access as a way to reach broader customer groups. Aisha Almazrouei frames CBD’s rollout as a step toward a more self-reliant financial network. The practical takeaway is straightforward. CBD gets a locally anchored card product, customers gain another flexible payment option, and the country strengthens control over its digital transaction layer.
