Emirates crypto payments are planned after Dubai’s flagship airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crypto.com to explore ways to integrate Crypto.com Pay within its payments systems.
The goal of the Emirates crypto payments is travellers will be able to use Crypto.com payments systems, while maintaining high security and compliance standards. The Emirates Crypto.com Pay integration is expected to take effect in 2026.
Besides the cryptocurrency payment integration, Emirates and Crypto.com are also exploring promotional marketing campaigns to create awareness and encourage adoption of this new payment solution.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Partnering with Crypto.com to integrate cryptocurrency into our digital payments system reflects Emirates’ commitment to meeting evolving customer preferences, in addition to tapping into younger, tech-savvy customer segments who prefer digital currencies. This strategic move is in line with Dubai’s vision to be at the forefront of financial innovation while at the same time providing our customers with greater flexibility and choice in how they transact with Emirates.”
A few global airlines have already started to offer cryptocurrency payments, including Japan’s low-cost airline Peach Aviation. In the region, Air Arabia announced the acceptance of AE Coin, a UAE dirham-backed stablecoin, for its flight bookings earlier this year.
The United Arab Emirates has positioned itself as a burgeoning hub for cryptocurrency operations. In May 2025, it was announced Dubai would accept crypto payments for government services through a Crypto.com deal.
In June, Dubai approved Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin for use in DIFC. The UAE has already seen a 55% year-on-year increase in stablecoin transactions from 2024.
