Approval strengthens Edenred UAE’s role in payroll services for 2.5 million workers.
Dubai: Edenred UAE, part of the global Edenred Group and a long-standing provider of payroll solutions in the UAE, has received in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to operate as a licensed Stored Value Facility (SVF) provider.
Edenred has been part of the UAE’s payroll infrastructure for more than 18 years. The company now serves more than 20,000 businesses and 2.5 million employees across the UAE, processing salaries each month for workers in sectors including construction, retail, hospitality and logistics. Many of these employees rely on salary cards as their primary financial account to receive and access their wages.
The company has built its presence on operational reliability and regulatory compliance, becoming one of the UAE’s widely used payroll solutions.
In-principle approval is an intermediate stage in the CBUAE’s licensing process, covering areas including governance, compliance, cybersecurity and operational controls. Edenred UAE will now work to meet the remaining requirements before a full SVF licence can be granted.
For businesses using Edenred to pay employees and workers receiving wages through its platform, the milestone represents continuity rather than an immediate change in services as the company progresses towards full SVF licensing.
The development also reflects the UAE’s broader financial-sector evolution, including the growing role of stored-value and payment products and efforts to improve financial inclusion among workers who are unbanked or underbanked.
“Our clients trust us with something deeply personal: making sure their people get paid safely and on time. Receiving in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE is an important step in earning that trust at the highest regulatory level, and we are honoured to have it. We remain committed to completing the work ahead to achieve full licensing and to pioneering payroll services that support economic growth and financial inclusion across the region.”
Claudio Di Zanni, Managing Director, Edenred Middle East
About Edenred UAE
Edenred UAE is the UAE’s largest salary processing provider, helping more than 20,000 companies pay their employees on time and serving more than 2.5 million workers. The company provides payroll solutions designed to simplify salary processing and help employees manage their finances.
Based in Dubai since 2008, Edenred UAE was the first WPS agent authorised by the Central Bank of the UAE and the Ministry of Labour. It provides payroll services to companies, banks and financial institutions across the country.
About Edenred
Edenred is a global leader in employee benefits, engagement and mobility solutions. Its platform serves more than 1 million client companies across 44 countries, giving more than 60 million users access to products and services from over 2 million partner merchants.
Edenred provides digital solutions for employees, including meal vouchers, commuting benefits, gift cards, wellness programmes, rewards and preferential offers. It also offers fleet management solutions covering EV charging, maintenance, VAT refunds, tolls and parking, as well as corporate payment solutions such as virtual cards.
Guided by Edenred’s purpose, “Enrich connections. For good.”, the company’s solutions aim to improve employee well-being and purchasing power while simplifying the lives of professional drivers. They also promote access to healthier food, more environmentally friendly products and sustainable mobility.
Edenred’s solutions are designed to enhance the attractiveness and efficiency of businesses while supporting employment and local economies. Its 12,000 employees work to create a more connected, safer, more efficient and responsible world of work.
In 2025, Edenred generated a business volume of €49 billion through its technology platform, primarily via mobile applications, online platforms and cards.
Edenred is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is included in the CAC Next 20, CAC Large 60, Euronext 100, Euronext Tech Leaders, FTSE4Good, DJBIC Europe Index and DJBIC World Index.
