Aani UAE: What It Is and What It Is Not for Remittance
A clear guide to Aani, the UAE's instant payment system — what it does, what it cannot do, and how it relates to international money transfers.
Aani is the UAE's instant payment system, operated by Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a subsidiary of the UAE Central Bank (CBUAE). It was launched in October 2023 under the UAE Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme.
What Aani is
Aani enables instant UAE-domestic payments in AED between UAE bank accounts. Key features:
- Instant transfers between UAE bank accounts (under approximately 10 seconds).
- Uses a mobile number as a payment proxy — no need to share your IBAN.
- Supports request-to-pay, bill splitting, and QR code payments.
- Maximum transaction limit: AED 50,000 (verify current limit at aletihad.ae).
- AED only — domestic UAE payments only.
What Aani is NOT
Aani is a domestic payment system. It does not support cross-border or international transfers. You cannot use Aani to send money to India, Pakistan, Philippines, or any other country.
Aani is for UAE-to-UAE AED transfers only. It is not a substitute for an international remittance service, exchange house transfer, or SWIFT bank transfer.
What to use for international transfers from UAE
For sending money internationally from the UAE, you need a different service:
- Exchange houses: Al Ansari Exchange, Lulu Exchange, Al Fardan Exchange — all offer international transfer services.
- Digital remittance apps: Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, Western Union, MoneyGram — verify UAE availability.
- UAE bank SWIFT transfers: Available from most UAE banks but typically with higher fees.
Always verify fees, exchange rates, and delivery times directly with the service provider before sending money internationally.
Source note: Aani information sourced from Al Etihad Payments (AEP) and CBUAE public announcements. remit.ae does not integrate with Aani and does not process Aani payments.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Mid-market reference rate
To understand the total cost of a transfer, compare the exchange rate a provider applies against a reference mid-market rate. Reference rates are for informational guidance only — always verify the final rate and fees directly with the provider before sending. remit.ae does not display live or real-time rates.
Questions you may have
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Independent money transfer guides for UAE expats.
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