The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has officially launched the website for its new digital identity platform, Haweya, paving the way for the upcoming release of the mobile application. According to the platform’s official launch details, every citizen will receive a single digital identity through the initiative, eliminating the need to visit physical branches or submit paper documents for financial and banking transactions conducted via mobile devices.
Central Bank of Egypt Launches Haweya Digital Identity System for Remote KYC
The platform serves as Egypt’s central hub for electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) services. It functions as a digital passport allowing users to access various digital banking and telecommunications services from any location using advanced biometric verification technologies, including facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and digital signatures. Users can leverage the system to open bank accounts remotely, activate mobile lines, subscribe to and manage e-wallets, and access private and public digital services.
Regulatory Framework and Operational Rules
Formal regulations governing the digital financial identity system were approved by the CBE to align with the country’s digital transformation and financial inclusion strategy. According to CBE Governor Hassan Abdalla, the system represents a qualitative leap in digital banking delivery, enabling customers to open accounts remotely, approve terms and conditions electronically, utilize digital authentication instead of handwritten signatures, and update personal data easily.
The Central Bank of Egypt issued a circular to banks setting out the rules for the digital financial identity system. The framework applies to all banks operating in Egypt, licensed entities joining the approved system, and CBE-authorised banking agents, establishing minimum compliance requirements for DFI services.
Under the rules, the platform is created and operated by the Digital Financial Identity Company (Haweya). The company operates the approved system from within Egypt, issues technical connection rules, and securely connects with trusted entities such as the Civil Status Authority to obtain citizen data under CBE approval. Haweya is tasked with ensuring a single unique digital financial identity per customer, providing identification, electronic authentication, negative-list screening, and DFI-sharing services while retaining electronic records within Egypt. The company must support liveness detection, national ID and official document reading, establish an information security committee, and conduct penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and third-party risk assessments with 24/7 monitoring under CBE oversight.
Stakeholder Responsibilities and Market Impact
Participating banks remain primarily responsible for identifying and verifying customers in line with procedures from the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Unit. Meanwhile, the role of banking agents is confined to cases that the automated system cannot process, such as data or biometric feature similarities found in twins.
Market observers note that the regulations will enable banks to onboard and verify customers remotely, reduce reliance on physical branches, and support the development of new digital products. Participating banks are expected to align their governance, cybersecurity, outsourcing, fraud, and data-protection frameworks with the new rules.
Led by a team of Egyptian experts supported by the CBE, the executive leadership team for Haweya includes Tamer Gadalla as CEO, Mohamed Magdy Helmy as COO, Moatasem El-Mekawi as CFO, and Karim Ismail as Commercial Director. The platform is designed to expand financial access for individuals in remote areas, reinforce national financial inclusion efforts, and position Egypt as a regional leader in fintech innovation and digital identity technology.
