Western Union integrates UAE pass into its website and mobile app

By Leandra Monteiro

Western Union, a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, and Al Fardan Exchange, one of the leading financial services providers in the country, have announced further enhancement of  Western Union’s digital customer experience in the UAE through the integration of the “UAE Pass” into the Western Union mobile app. Western Union becomes one of the first financial services companies in the UAE to adopt this innovative National Digital Identity solution.

The UAE Pass solution will enable customers to benefit from its instant authentication and complete their registration and identity verification conveniently with a few clicks, without the need for in-person authentication. Customers will now enjoy an online or in-app experience from start to finish, enabling money transfers to family and friends 24/7 across the world for payout through Western Union’s global financial network of billions of bank accounts and millions of wallets and cards and its more than half a million retail locations in more than 200 countries and territories.

UAE Pass is a joint initiative between the Telecommunications & Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), Abu Dhabi Digital Authority and Dubai Digital Authority, aiming to provide a single trusted digital identity solution for service providers in the UAE while maintaining a high level of security assurance and seamless user experience. It is also supported by key strategic partners such as the Ministry of Interior, Federal Identity & Citizenship and all the Digital Authorities across the UAE.

“We are thrilled to take our digital customer experience in the UAE to a new level through the integration of the ‘UAE Pass” into our fast-growing and highly-rated wu.com and mobile app,” said Salma Massoud, Head of Digital, Middle East and Africa, Western Union. “This will allow our customers an easy, convenient and secure digital onboarding so that they can start sending money to their family and friends anytime and almost anywhere.”

“The UAE Pass initiative is one of the key enablers of the digital transformation efforts of the UAE aimed at building a sustainable digital future. Western Union’s digital services align with the UAE government’s policy to create an economy driven by innovation and technology,” Massoud said.

“At Al Fardan Exchange we have always been at the forefront of innovation and digital transformation, aligning our goals and priorities with the vision of the UAE for a digitally enabled economy,” said Hasan Fardan Al Fardan, CEO, Al Fardan Exchange.

“Our collaboration with Western Union in launching the UAE Pass reflects our commitment to offer customers enhanced end-to-end digital money transfer services,” he said.

Western Union launched its mobile app and revamped its website in the UAE under the license of its digital partner Al Fardan Exchange in January 2019, enabling customers to send money to their families and loved ones 24/7 from the comfort of their homes for payout at Western Union’s global network of bank accounts, wallets, and Agent locations. They may choose to pay for transactions on the website or within the app, using debit, credit cards or bank transfers.