Cardtek, a global payment technologies provider, is collaborating with NXP Semiconductors to deliver the first nationally sanctioned mobile wallet product for the United Arab Emirates, according to a press release.

Emcredit, a fully owned subsidiary of the Dubai economy, will launch Empay, a mobile payment platform that offers all UAE residents the ability to pay for a wide variety of goods and services using smart wearable technology or multifunctional devices. 

Cardtek will provide the payment infrastructure, mobile industry knowledge, operational services and product enhancements to support the Empay platform, according to the announcement. NXP will manufacture and provide the NFC controller and secure element necessary to enable UAE consumers to utilize the service on wearable devices.

"Empay will stand as a significant benchmark in the marriage between payments and wearables, and offer a blueprint for how an entire nation can securely modernize its payment processes — from retail and transit, to ticketing and government services," Ayşe Sarıgöllü, executive chairwoman of Cardtek, said in a statement. "For the first time, consumers will have an integrated platform that offers quick access to number of retail and service options directly from a wearable device, without being tethered to a particular phone manufacturer, telephone company, or third-party provider."

As a part of the Dubai Government Smart Initiative, Empay will bring together a number of service providers — including banks, government departments, retailers, educational institutions, and transportation companies — into a common platform where consumers are able to access and pay for services from a single mobile wallet, according to the announcement.

Empay will ultimately enable UAE consumers to make retail payments, initiate money transfers and pay for government utilities – for example, telecommunication and school fees — all from a single mobile wallet.

Wearables include a battery and a Bluetooth Low Energy connection, in addition to an NFC interface. This allows communication to the cloud via a mobile phone or "companion device," enabling multiple applications to be dynamically and over-the-air provisioned on the wearable device.