Introduction
The UAE is home to one of the largest Pakistani communities abroad, and it is one of the biggest sources of remittances to Pakistan. If you live in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman or anywhere else in the Emirates and support family back home, the Pasban Remittance Reward Scheme can reward the family member who receives your money — at no cost to you or them.
The key point for UAE senders: the prize goes to the beneficiary in Pakistan, not to you. What you control is how the money is sent and where it lands.
- Prize region
- GCC
- Regional share
- 50% of 2nd–4th prizes
- Local currency
- UAE dirham (AED)
- Monthly threshold
- USD 100 equivalent
- First draw
- 15 January 2027
Remittance context from the UAE
Many UAE-based Pakistanis send a fixed amount home every month — often around salary day. That pattern fits the scheme’s three-month rule well, provided each monthly transfer is at least USD 100 equivalent and is credited to the same eligible account in Pakistan.
Remittances from the UAE fall in the GCC region, which receives the largest share of regional prizes. Pasban rewards for Pakistanis in UAE therefore come through the GCC allocation of 2nd, 3rd and 4th prizes, plus the all-region First Prize.
Eligibility explained for families of UAE-based Pakistanis
The rules are the same for every country. The person in Pakistan becomes eligible for a quarter’s draw when their account receives a home remittance worth at least USD 100 in each of the three months of that quarter. No UAE-, Gulf- or country-specific rules have been published.
In AED: The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at about AED 3.6725 per USD, so USD 100 is roughly AED 367.
- Credited directly into a personal account or participating wallet in Pakistan (single or joint)
- Account at a participating bank
- Pakistani-rupee account — not a Roshan Digital or foreign-currency account
- Free and automatic — no registration, ticket or fee
Full details: eligibility rules · how tokens work.
Formal remittance channels in the UAE
In the UAE you can send money through banks, licensed exchange houses and regulated money-transfer apps. Licensed providers are supervised by the Central Bank of the UAE. What matters for Pasban is the Pakistan end: the money must be credited directly into an account or wallet at a participating bank.
- Choose account credit, not cash pickup. Many exchange-house counters offer cash collection in Pakistan by default. Cash pickup does not qualify.
- Use the right account details. Use the recipient’s IBAN or account number at a participating bank, or their wallet number if the wallet provider participates.
- Avoid hundi/hawala. Informal transfers never earn tokens and carry legal and fraud risks.
Licensed providers in the UAE are supervised by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). This website does not recommend specific providers.
Practical tips
Exchange houses and apps add their own fees and rates, and the rupee amount credited is converted back to USD at the SBP daily rate. If you send exactly AED 367, the credited value could land slightly under USD 100. Sending a little more than the threshold gives a margin.
The UAE is one hour behind Pakistan (GST, UTC+4). The scheme counts a remittance in the month it is processed in Pakistan.
Regional prize allocation
Remittances from the UAE are in the GCC region. Per draw, that region’s pool includes 10 second prizes (PKR 25M), 50 third prizes (PKR 10M) and 1,190 fourth prizes (PKR 1M), according to the official terms for the first two draws. The PKR 100 million First Prize is drawn from all regions together.
Draw information
The first draw is on 15 January 2027 and covers remittances received from 1 October to 31 December 2026. Results are announced on the draw day without personal details, and winners are contacted by their own bank. See draw dates.
FAQs for UAE
Can I win the Pasban prize myself as the sender in the UAE?
No. Only the beneficiary in Pakistan receives tokens and prizes. Senders are not participants under the official terms.
Does it matter which UAE exchange house I use?
The scheme does not list specific UAE providers. What counts is that you use a formal channel (bank, exchange company or licensed money transfer operator) and that the money is credited directly to an eligible account at a participating bank in Pakistan.
Is there any UAE-specific eligibility rule?
No separate UAE rules have been published. The same rules apply to all countries; the country only decides which regional pool (GCC) the 2nd–4th prizes are drawn from.
How much in AED meets the USD 100 threshold?
About AED 367 at the dirham peg — but because fees and conversion can reduce the credited amount, many senders allow a margin above that.
How many prizes are there for the GCC?
Under the official terms, for the first two draws the GCC region has 10 second prizes, 50 third prizes and 1,190 fourth prizes per draw. The First Prize is open to all regions.
Where can I verify this?
On the official sources: the 1LINK scheme page, the official Terms & Conditions and SBP’s press release.
Official resources
Pakistan’s mission in the UAE has shared the scheme announcement; use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to find official mission pages. For the rules themselves:
Fraud awareness
Beware of Pasban Prize Scams
Prize schemes attract fraudsters. Genuine winners are contacted by their own bank through its official channels — not by strangers on WhatsApp.
- Never pay a fee, “tax” or “processing charge” to claim a Pasban prize.
- Do not share your PIN.
- Do not share OTPs (one-time passwords).
- Do not share online banking passwords.
- Do not give card details to unknown callers.
- Be cautious of WhatsApp, SMS or social media messages saying you won.
- Do not send money to anyone claiming to be a “prize-release agent”.
- Verify through your bank’s official helpline or the official sources.