- Mission is to drive inclusion and support underserved communities with the tools they need to thrive in a digital economy.
The digital payment arm of Dubai-based telecom operator du – du Pay – has hit half a million downloads across iOS and Android platforms and facilitated half a billion dirhams in financial transactions.
It includes international money transfer, local transfers, bill payments, card transactions, peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers.
As part of its commitment to financial empowerment, du Pay also rolled out financial literacy initiatives across labour communities, aiming to increase awareness and access to digital financial tools. These efforts align with du Pay’s broader mission to drive inclusion and support underserved communities with the tools they need to thrive in a digital economy.
“Our first year has been incredibly rewarding and it highlights our commitment to transforming the digital payments landscape in the UAE. The milestones we achieved, from the half a million app downloads to joining forces with multiple partners have brought us closer to strengthening digital inclusion and financial empowerment in the UAE,” Fahad Al Hassawi, Chairman of du Pay, said.
According to data and analytics company GlobalData, UAE’s card payments market is set to surpass $150 billion in 2025, representing a 10.6 per cent growth rate.
The rising prominence of card payments is evident in the substantial 13.3 per cent growth observed in 2024, reaching AED511.4 billion ($139.3 billion). This growth can be attributed, in part, to initiatives such as the “Wage Protection System,” which mandates electronic wage payments through authorised financial institutions.
GlobalData projecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6 per cent between 2025 and 2029, leading to an estimated AED 814.7 billion ($221.8 billion) in card payments by 2029.