Remitly is available across the UAE — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, anywhere with the app, since it's a digital-only service with no branch network to be near or far from. It's licensed by the UAE Central Bank to operate as a digital remittance provider.
How it works from the UAE
Remitly funds transfers by UAE debit/credit card or bank transfer, and lets you choose between two speeds on the same transfer: Express, which costs more and typically lands within minutes to hours, or Economy, which costs less and takes longer. That choice — pay more for speed, or wait and save — is Remitly's main differentiator from a flat-fee app like Wise.
The markup varies roughly 0.4% to 2.5% depending on which speed you pick, your payment method, and the amount, and it's strongest on the South Asian and Southeast Asian corridors it specializes in — India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nepal.