du Pay Marks Second Anniversary with Quadruple Surge in UAE Transactions

Two years can feel like a lifetime in fintech. In the UAE’s fast-moving payments space, blink and you might miss the next big shift. du Pay, the digital financial platform backed by du, is marking its second anniversary with figures that suggest it has not just kept up, but pushed ahead.

Since launching, the app has been downloaded more than 1.4 million times and has processed over AED 2 billion in transactions. That covers everything from international remittances and utility bill payments to mobile top-ups, card payments, online purchases and cash withdrawals. Perhaps the most striking detail is the pace of growth: transaction volumes have quadrupled compared with the AED 500 million recorded at its first anniversary. That’s not a small jump; it’s a proper leap.

And believe it or not, growth alone is not the whole story. Over the past year, du Pay has leaned heavily into financial inclusion. One notable move was the introduction of its “Salary in the Digital Wallet” feature, allowing workers to receive their wages directly into the app. In a country where a large part of the workforce relies on digital transfers, that kind of direct access to earnings can make day-to-day life a bit less of a faff.

The company also partnered with a major delivery services provider to roll out dedicated digital wallet services for riders across the UAE. Thousands of delivery workers now have access to tailored financial tools through their phones. Add to that partnerships to launch digital micro-lending solutions and collaborations with international platforms in remittance-receiving countries, and you start to see the bigger picture: this is about building an ecosystem, not just an app.

Fahad Al Hassawi, Chairman of du Pay, said the four-fold increase in transaction volumes reflects both customer trust and the team’s focus on innovation and service expansion. It’s the kind of statement you would expect at a milestone like this, but the numbers do give it weight.

Recognition has followed. du Pay was named E-payment Solution of the Year at the Entrepreneur Leaders in E-Business Awards 2025, a nod to its role in advancing digital payments. The platform’s wider ambition also ties closely to government strategy, supporting the Dubai Department of Finance’s target to make 90% of transactions in Dubai cashless by 2026.

From where I sit, watching startups across the MENA region for Arageek, I’ve seen how difficult it is to shift habits away from cash. It doesn’t happen overnight. But when telecom infrastructure, regulatory backing and user-friendly design come together, things can move quickly. I reckon du Pay’s real strength is that it stands on du’s established network while trying to serve communities that traditional banking sometimes overlooks.

Of course, the fintech race in the UAE is crowded. Competition is fierce, and customers will not stay loyal just because an app had a strong second year. On the flip side, du Pay is licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE, which gives it credibility that many newcomers would love to have. That counts for something.

Looking ahead, the company says it will continue expanding its services, deepening partnerships across the fintech space and introducing new features aimed at convenience and security. If the last twelve months are anything to go by, we can expect more rapid iteration and, quite possibly, another surge in volumes.

In a region pushing hard towards a cashless future, clearing AED 2 billion in transactions in just two years is definately a marker of momentum. Whether du Pay can keep that pace is the big question. For now, though, it seems spot on in positioning itself at the heart of the UAE’s evolving digital payments landscape.

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