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etisalat money, the fintech arm of etisalat, has partnered with Visa to widen how people and small businesses in the UAE send money abroad, using Visa’s money movement platform Visa Direct. The two companies announced the partnership on 22 October at a signing ceremony at Visa’s CEMEA headquarters in Dubai Internet City.
Key takeaways
etisalat money, the fintech arm of etisalat, has partnered with Visa to use Visa Direct for international transfers by consumers and small businesses in the UAE. The companies announced it on 22 October 2026.
It plans four new options: Visa Direct to Card, Visa+, personal-to-business transfers and SWIFT transfers. They will initially support India, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, the UK and China.
etisalat money already reaches more than 150 countries with bank, wallet and cash-pickup payouts.
The four new options
etisalat money plans to add four international transfer capabilities:
- Visa Direct to Card: sends funds to an eligible recipient’s card using the card number.
- Visa+: moves money between different person-to-person payment apps using the recipient’s phone number instead of bank details.
- Personal-to-business transfers: lets eligible customers send money from a personal etisalat money account to a business account abroad.
- SWIFT transfers: adds SWIFT as another international payment option in the app.
The companies say the capabilities will initially support seven corridors: India, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, the UK and China. The partnership also gives access to digital-wallet destinations in several other markets. The small-business angle rests mainly on the personal-to-business option.
What etisalat money already does
etisalat money’s current international transfer service reaches more than 150 countries, with bank account, digital wallet and cash-pickup payouts, live exchange rates, estimated transfer times and tracking. The new capabilities add card, app-to-app and SWIFT routes to that.
Melike Kara Tanrikulu, chief executive of etisalat money, called the partnership “a strategic step in broadening our international payment capabilities.”
Fadi Moukaddem, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, said that in money movement “trust is one of the most important currencies of success.”
Where it fits
The UAE is the largest source of remittances in the GCC. Workers there sent $62.1 billion abroad in 2025, according to GCC-Stat figures in our remittances report. Other UAE apps have been adding direct routes too. Botim opened a direct link to GCash wallets in the Philippines in September, which we covered here.
What’s next
The announcement gives no launch dates or phased timeline, and doesn’t say which of the four options goes live first. It doesn’t mention fees, limits or the regulator overseeing the service, and gives no transfer volumes.
FAQs
What did etisalat money and Visa announce?
etisalat money will use Visa Direct to add four international transfer options for consumers and small businesses: Visa Direct to Card, Visa+, personal-to-business transfers and SWIFT.
Which countries are covered first?
India, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, the UK and China, according to the companies.
What is Visa Direct?
Visa’s global money movement platform, which supports cross-border payments including person-to-person transfers and small-business payments over Visa’s network.
What is Visa+?
A service that lets customers send money between different person-to-person payment apps using the recipient’s phone number.
Editor’s Take: etisalat money already sends to more than 150 countries, so what the partnership adds is routes: card payouts, app-to-app transfers, personal-to-business and SWIFT. The seven corridors are named but no launch date, fee or limit is, and the announcement doesn’t say which option arrives first. The small-business claim depends mainly on personal-to-business transfers, which the companies describe only briefly. Fees and the order of rollout would show whether these routes compete on price with existing exchange houses and wallets.