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How Pakistanis in UAE can win Dh1.3 million by sending remittances
State Bank of Pakistan’s new Pasban Remittance Reward Scheme offers Rs16 billion in annual prizes, with the Gulf, including the UAE, getting the largest regional share of 50 per cent
- PUBLISHED: Sun 27 Sept 2026, 10:30 AM
The State Bank of Pakistan has launched a market-based rewards scheme offering cash prizes worth Rs16 billion a year to overseas Pakistanis who send remittances through formal banking channels – with GCC-based senders, including those in the UAE, allocated half of all prizes.
Here is how Pakistanis in the UAE and other countries can win prizes worth millions of dirham by sending remittances through formal banking channels.
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What is the Pasban Remittance Reward Scheme?
It is a new prize-based initiative launched by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor, Jameel Ahmad, and funded entirely by the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA) and the banking industry. It offers Rs16 billion (over Dh212 million) in cash prizes annually to reward overseas Pakistanis who send remittances home through official banking channels, rather than informal routes. The scheme places no burden on the national exchequer, as it is funded by the banking sector itself.
Can Pakistanis based in the UAE take part?
Yes. In fact, the UAE and the wider Gulf region stand to benefit the most from the scheme. Prizes are allocated across major remittance-sending regions as follows: 50 per cent for the GCC, 15 per cent for the UK, 15 per cent for Europe, 10 per cent for North America, and 10 per cent for other countries. The First Prize, however, is open to eligible beneficiaries from all regions.
How does someone become eligible?
A remittance beneficiary in Pakistan must receive a home remittance transaction equivalent to $100 (Dh367) or more each month, for three consecutive months within a quarter, into a bank account.
How many entries does a remitter get?
Each eligible $100 remittance earns one digital, non-transferable entry number. Higher-value transfers earn more entries proportionally. For example, someone who sends $100 in the first month, $200 in the second, and $300 in the third would receive one, two and three entries respectively – six entries in total for that quarter.
What is the biggest prize on offer?
The First Prize is Rs100 million (Dh1.3 million), and one is awarded every quarter. The full prize structure per quarter is:
First Prize: one prize of Rs100 million
Second Prize: 20 prizes of Rs25 million each
Third Prize: 100 prizes of Rs10 million each
Fourth Prize: 2,400 prizes of Rs1 million each
In total, 2,521 prizes worth Rs4 billion are awarded each quarter, adding up to Rs16 billion a year across more than 10,000 winners.
Draw dates?
The first draw is scheduled for January 15, 2027, covering eligible remittances received between October 1 and December 31, 2026.
Is there any cost to participate?
No. Participation is completely free. No bank is permitted to charge a fee or require any payment, ticket purchase or minimum balance from eligible remittance beneficiaries.
Where will results be announced?
Draw results will be published on the scheme's dedicated webpage (1link.net.pk/pasbanrewards), as well as on the websites and social media accounts of participating banks and the PBA.
Why has SBP launched this scheme now?
Governor Ahmad linked the scheme to Pakistan’s improving external account position: FX reserves, which fell below $3 billion in February 2023, now stand at $21.4 billion, while workers’ remittances hit a record $41.6 billion in 2026 fiscal year, up from $21.7 billion in 2019. He described Pasban as a planned transition towards a more sustainable, market-oriented model to keep formal channels attractive, building on remitter incentives banks have funded since July 2026.
