Customers who haven’t completed facial and iris recognition verification are finding their smart banking apps suspended. The Central Bank began phasing out SMS OTPs in July 2025 to reduce fraud risk
By Amal Al-Minshawi3 min read
As of July 25, 2025, the UAE Central Bank began to implement the gradual cancellation of One-Time Passwords (OTPs), which are sent via SMS or email, and to replace them with more advanced authentication mechanisms that rely on smart apps specific to banks. Picture for illustrative purposes. Picture credit: AI-generated image
Source: Emirates 24|7