The company significantly expands its network in the UAE by activating the Western Union money transfer service on more than 580 kiosks - which are strategically placed in shopping malls, supermarkets, residential areas, banks, hospitals, government facilities, gas stations, staff accommodations and other locations across all seven emirates in the country.

The self-service kiosks allow users to process different types of payment-based transactions - such as utility bill payments or Etisalat, Du or Salik top-ups - in addition to Western Union money transfers. Western Union is the only cash to cash remittance service offered on these kiosks, and the customer will enjoy a complete Western Union look and feel on every screen till the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) is generated.

Jean Claude Farah, President, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & CIS, Western Union, said: "Going live with the kiosk project allows us to get closer to our customers in the UAE who can now send money conveniently from a location close to their home or workplace. The user-friendly technology ensures the transaction process is simple, compliant with the regulatory requirements and is completed in a matter of minutes, bringing in a new era of convenience, reliability and speed for the customer."

"At Western Union, customer-centricity is at the heart of everything that we do, and the kiosk network will improve our value proposition and ensure a stronger connect with technology to benefit our customers," he added. "The Western Union service on the kiosks has been activated in conjunction with two of our key agents in the UAE - Al Fardan Exchange and Sharaf Exchange. The project will continue to expand in scope over the coming months to eventually increase our kiosk network in the UAE to over 800 touch points."

How to use the kiosks to send money with Western Union

In order to start using the Western Union service on kiosks, customers need to complete a one-time registration at any Al Fardan Exchange or Sharaf Exchange location in the UAE by presenting a valid Emirates ID. The customer service agent at the concerned exchange will then enter all the necessary information in the system, retain a copy of the Emirates ID, and print a receipt for the customer to verify his or her personal information. The customer will then receive their Western Union login ID and PIN by SMS on their registered mobile number, which they can use every time they use a kiosk for a Western Union money transfer.

In Dubai, kiosks offering the Western Union service are strategically placed in popular locations across the city, including supermarkets such as Union Cooperative Society, Choithrams, Lulu and Al Manama, shopping malls such as Wafi City, Al Ghurair Centre, Marina Mall and Safeer Century Mall, government facilities such as Dubai Customs, Dubai Civil Defence, and Emirates ID offices, as well as Dubai Airport Terminal 3 and the Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali.

Key locations in Abu Dhabi include outlets and facilities of Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, Lulu Hypermarket, KM Trading, Safeer Mall, Makkah Mall, Commercial Bank International, Department of Finance, and the Etihad Towers, among others.

The self-service kiosks are also available in locations across Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al-Khaimah, Umm Al-Quwain, and Fujairah.