Western Union Digital Expands to Seven Countries Across the Middle East

Western Union Digital Now Live in Bahrain,
Jordan,
Kuwait,
Lebanon,
Oman,
Qatar
and the UAE

DENVER & DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Western
Union Company’s (NYSE: WU) global digital money-moving capabilities
are making significant headway across the Middle East, with seven
countries now offering online services, connecting customers to their
families and loved ones around the world digitally with the choice to
pay for transactions online or in person.

The United
Arab Emirates (UAE) was enhanced with the latest generation of
Western Union’s omni-channel platform, joining Bahrain,
Jordan,
Kuwait,
Lebanon,
Oman
and Qatar,
as a part of Western Union’s deep commitment to keeping the Middle East
at the forefront of the digital revolution.

In the UAE, the company launched the Western
Union^® mobile app and relaunched the Westernunion.com
website. Customers in the UAE now have the choice to pay for
transactions online or within the app via direct transfers from their
bank accounts set up in the UAE.

Currently, Western Union offers digital service via WU.com in over 60
countries, plus territories, with mobile apps in 35 countries; moreover,
its entire network is a combination of retail Agent locations in more
than 200 countries and territories, account payout in nearly 100
countries, and wallet payout in a dozen countries.

The Middle East is a vital and rising economic hub bringing people
together from across Europe, Africa and Asia and lifting them toward
prosperity. International migrants working and living across the region
represent a large part of the population and collectively send billions
of remittances back home. In the UAE, 88 percent of the population are
international migrants, followed by Qatar at 75 percent, Kuwait 72
percent, Bahrain 51 percent, Oman 41 percent, Jordan 40 percent and
Lebanon 34 percent, according to the World Bank¹.

“Our commitment to the Middle East is a step forward to a more
prosperous and globally connected future. Our digital services support a
globally-integrated living without leaving anyone behind. We use
cutting-edge technology to simplify money transfer. Our systems
automatically handle complexities from compliance to volatile currency
exchanges so users can transfer money 24/7 to nearly every country
across the world, with the touch of a few buttons,” said Western Union
President and CEO, Hikmet Ersek, during the launch ceremony in Dubai.

“Our systems are also designed to allow customers at any level of
financial experience to use any channel they like, be it digital or
cash, online or offline,” he said.

The UAE launch is aligned with the country’s vision, one that is staying
on the edge of innovation to make a better life for all its people.
Digital tools mean, at their essence, more ways to reach more people and
more opportunities for all. The more the UAE fulfills its ambitious
plans for economic transformation, the greater will be the opportunities
to interact with the world. More workers from overseas, more tourists
visiting its shores, more students going abroad to study all.

As one of the world’s most innovative nations, the UAE is striving
forward with an ambitious agenda of growth and dynamism. According to
the Global
Competitiveness Report 2018 by the World Economic Forum, the UAE is
ranked first in the world for mobile broadband subscription rate, and
second in the mobile subscription index – which highlight both the
country’s high level of commitment to digital development and its fast
rate of mobile adoption.

Western Union has been providing money-transfer services in the UAE for
over 20 years and has more than 900 retail agent locations in the
country. Customers still have the choice to access these locations to
send money transfers in person, reflecting the company’s commitment to
providing choice and options to connect to families and friends around
the world.

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CUSTOMER GUIDANCE:

In line with the local regulations, prior to the first use of the online
service, customers are required to register on www.westernunion.com,
then verify in-person with their valid government-issued resident ID at
an Al Fardan Exchange Agent location. After successful verification,
customers will receive a notification confirming they can now
conveniently send Western Union money transfers anytime, with a few
clicks, online.

In addition to the convenience and reliability of sending money any
time, the website and app (available for iOS
and Android
users) displays current exchange rates and fees, tracks money transfers
online, lists recent and pending transactions, provides round-the-clock
customer service and lists payout options available in the receiver’s
country.

For more information, customers can visit any of the Al Fardan Exchange
locations, call 800 SENDWU, write to wu.support@alfardanexchange.com
or refer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) under the Quick Links
section, at the bottom of the page on https://www.westernunion.com/ae/en/home.html.

About Western Union’s Cross-Border Platform
Western Union’s
cross-border, cross-currency money movement platform – including a
robust digital footprint, settlement, treasury and compliance
infrastructure, a vast global retail network of over half a million
locations, and the ability to send money to billions of accounts and
mobile wallets – sets the standard for international money movement.
With operations in more than 200 countries and territories, Western
Union’s platform processed an average of 34 transactions every second
and moved $300 billion in principal across 130 currencies in 2018.

Connecting the digital and physical worlds of money, Western Union’s
technology stack, APIs, foreign exchange and settlement engine, agent
network, anti-money laundering and fraud detection capabilities make it
one of the largest digital and physical money movers for consumers
around the globe. Approximately 75% of Western Union’s digital
transactions globally now originate on mobile devices.

About Western Union
The Western Union Company is a global
leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement. As of December
31, 2018, our global network includes over 550,000 retail agent
locations offering Western Union, Vigo or Orlandi Valuta branded
services. Westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2018, is
available in more than 60 countries, plus additional territories, to
move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves
money for better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable
financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information,
visit www.westernunion.com.

Contacts

Western Union Global Money Transfer
Pia De Lima +1 9542605732 (U.S.)
pia.delima@westernunion.com

Western
Union Global Money Transfer, MEA & APAC
Karen Santos, +971 55
8866098
Karen.Santos2@westernunion.com

FleishmanHillard
Ronak
Thakkar, +971-545869828
ronak.thakkar@fleishman.com