myZoi and Deem Finance Introduce EWA Product to Enhance Financial Inclusion in the UAE
EWA enables eligible employees to withdraw a portion of their accrued salary ahead of payday within defined limits.
myZoi has announced a strategic partnership with Deem Finance and launched Earned Wage Access (EWA) product that is exclusively designed for low-income workers. EWA enables eligible employees to withdraw a portion of their accrued salary ahead of payday within defined limits. Designed with governance controls, the solution addresses short-term cash-flow timing, rather than extending new credit, supporting financial wellbeing for workers, particularly among underbanked segments.
Delivered through myZoi’s platform and developed in collaboration with Deem Finance, EWA provides controlled, on-demand access to wages already earned.
“Financial inclusion is most effective when it’s user friendly and well-governed to drive responsible adoption.This collaboration focuses on a specific pain point and addresses it with clear limits, automated payroll reconciliation, and a user experience that is fit for purpose for the underbanked.”
– Syed Muhammad Ali, CEO, myZoi
“This partnership with myZoi, where Deem acts as liquidity provider, demonstrates that financial transformation, when guided by empathy and integrity, can be both commercially viable and socially transformative. As the UAE continues its path toward a cashless, digital-first economy, Deem Finance aims to bridge inclusion with innovation, purpose with performance.”
– Chris Taylor, CEO, Deem Finance
Rola Abu Manneh, CEO of Standard Chartered UAE, Middle East, and Pakistan, opened the signing ceremony with a powerful note on the importance of financial inclusion and education, especially at a time when these priorities are being actively embraced and driven at a national level.
Beyond EWA, myZoi serves a growing base of highly engaged users with features tailored to meet the financial needs and goals of the UAE’s underbanked workforce. The platform offers first-to-market Day-1 onboarding for new-to-country employees via passport through Emirates Face Recognition (EFR) and enabling account activation from the first day of employment.
Since its launch, myZoi has recorded significant digital adoption rates exceeding 50% in the first year, with repeat usage at 80%, indicating sustained value among underbanked communities. Complementing its product offering, myZoi’s multilingual “Money Tips” financial literacy program has generated more than 33 million video views and has been shared across a network of over 350 corporate partners, extending practical guidance to employees and their wider communities. The platform also provides competitive cross-border transfer options and simple tools to manage salaries and enable financial planning, while streamlining employer payroll operations.
In a market where many workers are paid monthly and support families abroad, cash-flow timing, rather than lack of credit, often represents the real friction. Coupled with Day-1 onboarding and large-scale financial literacy, the approach favors practical inclusion: fewer timing shocks for workers, healthier financial habits, and a cleaner, more transparent experience for employers.
