Dubai to Pilot nol Cards Linked to UAE's Jaywan Payment Scheme From November

The combined nol – Jaywan card is meant to let users pay for public transport, taxis and public parking with the same card they can also use for wider digital payments. RTA said the cards will be rolled out in successive phases, with the first stage covering its public transport services, public and private transportation including taxis, and public parking.

Cardholders will keep paying for journeys through the existing nol system while gaining the payment functions offered through Jaywan, the report said. The cards can be activated and managed through Android and iOS smartphones, and RTA said they could also be used on public and private transport and on online booking platforms for public transport services across the UAE. The authority is also offering more than 120 promotional offers and discounts to cardholders.

Part of a Wider Ticketing Upgrade

The project is part of RTA's effort to move nol to account-based ticketing, in which fares are tied to a customer account rather than to value stored on the card itself. That approach is common in large transit systems because it makes it easier to link travel to bank cards, phones and other payment tools.

The agreement was signed by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, and Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor for Banking Operations and Support Services at the Central Bank of the UAE and chairman of Al Etihad Payments.

Al Tayer said the partnership would support the growth of digital payments in Dubai and make public transport more attractive. Al Dhaheri described the integration as "a significant leap towards unifying the UAE's digital payments infrastructure" and said wider acceptance of Jaywan at home and abroad would support the country's financial inclusion strategy.

Why It Matters

Jaywan is the central bank's domestic card scheme, designed to process local card payments within the UAE rather than through international networks. AEP has signed co-badging agreements with international schemes including Visa and Mastercard so that Jaywan cards can also be used outside the country, according to the company. Linking the scheme to nol, one of the most widely used payment cards in Dubai, gives Jaywan a daily, high-volume use case that card schemes usually take years to build through bank issuance alone.

For banks, fintechs and merchants, the deal is a sign that the national scheme is moving beyond bank cards into public services. For commuters, the practical effect depends on details RTA has not yet announced.

Open Questions

RTA has not given an exact pilot start date or said when the cards will be widely available. It has also not said whether existing nol cardholders will need to replace their cards, Gulf News reported. The first phase will focus on transport and parking payments, with later phases intended to connect more services through the combined system.