RTA and Al Etihad Payments to pilot combined nol and Jaywan card in Dubai

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has agreed with Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a unit of the UAE Central Bank, to launch a new generation of nol cards linked to Jaywan. A pilot phase is scheduled for November 2026.

The cards merge the nol transport payment system with Jaywan, the UAE's national card scheme. Users will still pay for journeys through nol and will also be able to use further payment services offered via Jaywan.

RTA says the rollout will come in stages. The pilot covers RTA public transport, taxis and other public and private transport, and public parking. The first stage centres on transport and parking payments. A wider rollout is planned to bring more services into the joint system.

The project belongs to RTA's upgrade of nol with account-based ticketing technology. Cards can be activated and managed on Android and iOS phones. RTA said the cards could also be used for online booking of public transport across the UAE. Cardholders will get over 120 promotional offers and discounts.

Mattar Al Tayer, RTA's Director General, and Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor at the Central Bank and Chairman of Al Etihad Payments, signed the agreement. Al Tayer said the partnership supports an integrated mobility system. Al Dhaheri called the link with nol a step towards unifying the country's digital payments infrastructure.

RTA has not yet given the exact date of the pilot launch or the date of wider availability. It has also not said whether current nol cardholders must replace their cards.

For residents and visitors who ride public transport, take taxis and pay for parking, the card is intended to handle these payments in one place. Current nol users should wait for RTA's word on replacement before changing anything.

Gulf News reported the details.