UAE-to-India remittances that need staff checks at Indian public-sector banks may slow if a proposed three-day nationwide strike runs from Monday 28 September to Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Gulf News and The National reported that the United Forum of Bank Unions plans the walkout unless there is progress on a five-day banking week. Talks earlier in the week did not settle the dispute, according to the union. The Indian government and bank managements have asked unions to defer the action. The strike would follow Saturday 26 September, already a scheduled bank holiday in India.
Extra Sunday opening before the walkout
India's Ministry of Finance said public-sector banks and regional rural banks will open on Sunday 27 September after the Reserve Bank of India approved Sunday operations for branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests. Without that step, customers would have faced a longer stretch of closed counters around the holiday and the proposed strike.
That Sunday opening gives customers in India another day for branch errands. It does not by itself guarantee that a remittance sent from the UAE will clear before Monday.
What UAE senders should expect
The UAE is the second-largest source of remittances to India, The National reported, accounting for about 19.2 per cent of inflows, with an Indian diaspora in the UAE of roughly 4.3 million people.
Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial, told The National that UAE-to-India transfers that run on computerised systems with no manual branch handling are unlikely to be disrupted. Delays are more likely if a payment is flagged for compliance, has incorrect details, or needs manual processing. Internet banking, mobile banking and ATMs are expected to keep working. Recipients who rely on public-sector branches for cash could still feel the pinch.
Services most often cited as at risk include cheque clearance, physical Know Your Customer checks, documentation and cash transactions. Non-resident Indians can be particularly exposed because their cases often need more paperwork than domestic customers. Valecha cautioned that depositing a cheque just before the strike does not ensure normal settlement during the walkout dates.
Gulf News advised UAE residents with urgent bills to check the delivery estimate shown by their bank or exchange house before confirming a transfer, ask whether the quoted time covers credit to the recipient's account, and keep the transaction reference for tracing.
Exchange houses and digital channels
Ali Al Najjar, chief executive of Al Ansari Exchange, told The National the proposed strike is not expected to disrupt the firm's remittance services or delay customer transfers. Customers can use digital channels or visit any of its 290 UAE branches. He said about 30 per cent of Al Ansari's transactions are digital and 70 per cent are walk-in.
Zolt Money, a cross-border fintech, said digital channels now account for 73.5 per cent of remittance transactions globally. In the UAE the share stood at 76.1 per cent in 2024, according to an RBI report cited by The National.
Indian banks have also been advising customers to lean on mobile banking, internet banking, ATMs and UPI during the proposed strike. Those channels may stay up even where branch counters are disrupted, but they do not guarantee when an international remittance will land.
If a payment can wait, Gulf News suggested checking the latest status from the provider and the receiving bank before choosing a send date. Unions could still defer the walkout, and the effect on individual transfers will become clearer once banks confirm operating arrangements.