OFWs in the UAE are to uphold free remittances among the emirates. NBD fee roll out

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has announced that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will remain unaffected by the new fee structure of Emirates National Bank of Dubai's (NBD) DirectRemit service. Effective September 1, 2025, Emirates NBD will impose a fee on most cross-border payments, but transfers to the Philippines will remain free of charge.

The Philippines is one of six countries exempted from this fee, highlighting the importance of remittances to Filipino households. The DMW expressed appreciation for the bank's consideration and thanked the UAE government and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) for their support of migrant communities. OFWs can continue to use the ENBD X mobile app or online banking for fee-free transactions to the Philippines. This news underscores the critical role OFWs play in the Philippine economy and the efforts made by stakeholders to maintain cost-effective remittance channels for them.