Emirates and flydubai have signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Dubai Finance (DOF) to advance digital payment initiatives and promote the ‘Dubai Cashless Strategy’ among international tourists, cementing the city’s position as a global digital economy hub.
With over 18.7 million tourists visiting Dubai in 2024, cash-reliant travellers represent the emirate’s greatest untapped potential for digital payment adoption.
Two separate MoUs were signed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer and Hamad Obaidalla, flydubai’s Chief Commercial Officer with Ahmad Ali Meftah, Executive Director of the Central Accounts Sector at DOF, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, His Excellency Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director General of DOF along with senior Emirates Group and flydubai executives.
“Emirates’ strategic partnership with DOF represents a significant opportunity to accelerate digital payment adoption across our tourism ecosystem, said Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates. “By leveraging our combined expertise and infrastructure, we’re supporting Dubai’s cashless vision and directly fuelling D33 Agenda ambitions by enabling the business case for digital-first tourism that creates seamless visitor experiences. With our global network, Emirates will also promote Dubai’s cashless ecosystem internationally, encouraging millions of visitors each year to embrace secure digital solutions from the moment they book their ticket. We hope what we are building today will become the blueprint that other major cities will follow.”
The partnership will leverage DOF’s established connections to government departments and both airlines’ substantial digital payment expertise, with a significant percentage of Emirates’ and flydubai’s global business conducted through digital transactions. Emirates offers 14 payment gateways for its customers, and Skywards, the loyalty programme for both Emirates and flydubai, is already a 100% digital currency for earning and redeeming benefits.
“Our collaboration with DOF is a pivotal step in advancing Dubai Cashless Strategy,” said Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer, flydubai. “flydubai is committed to adopting digital-first solutions, and this partnership will allow us to further enhance the travel experience for millions of international visitors who choose Dubai each year. By making cashless payments simpler, more secure and more accessible, we are not only improving convenience for our customers but also contributing to Dubai’s vision of becoming a leading global hub for digital innovation and economic growth.”
The MoUs aim to enhance collaboration across several areas, including exchanging expertise, technical know-how and best practices for cashless solutions within the travel and tourism ecosystem. All sides will explore opportunities to run workshops and training sessions and will evaluate payment adoption trends that support strategic planning efforts.
The collaborations will target tourists and travellers planning their stay in Dubai by developing initiatives that improve and make the digital payment experience more inclusive for visitors. The carriers and DOF will explore joint marketing campaigns to uplift visitor awareness, tap into opportunities for incentives that encourage digital payment adoption as well as offer diverse digital solutions for visitors like contactless payments.
Launched last year, the Dubai Cashless Strategy aims to achieve 90% cashless transactions across government and private sectors combined by end of 2026. The initiative is projected to boost economic growth by more than AED 8 billion annually through innovative financial technology services. The strategy is part of Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33) to drive fintech innovation and competitiveness and focuses on delivering seamless, secure digital payment experiences across all sectors.
