Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates and Dubai Duty Free on Wednesday signed agreements with Crypto.com to allow travellers to pay in digital currency for air tickets and shopping. The world’s largest international carrier said the integration of the system for crypto payments is expected to take effect next year.

"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," said Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer.

He said this move will offer passengers "greater flexibility and choice in how they transact with Emirates."

"As we continue to expand the everyday use case for crypto, integration with exceptional partners such as Emirates will bring real momentum to the digital asset industry and enable both companies to offer genuine innovative finance solutions for our customers. We look forward to working together as we continue to build our crypto offering in the GCC," said Eric Anziani, president and COO, Crypto.com.

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The two companies said they would also explore leveraging promotional marketing campaigns to create awareness and encourage adoption of this new payment solution.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group and Michael Doersam, Emirates’ Chief Financial & Group Services Officer, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Mohammed Al Hakim, President of Crypto.com’s UAE operations at agreement signing ceremony. Photo: Emirates airline

Meanwhile, Dubai Duty Free also signed an agreement with Crypto.com to explore crypto payment for both in-store and online. The deal will offer travellers diverse and innovative payment options and expanding collaborations through strategic partnerships, joint marketing campaigns, and customer engagement programmes that leverage the strengths of both organisations.

“As a global hub welcoming millions of travellers, Dubai Duty Free continually seeks to enhance the retail experience. We believe that embracing digital currency payments, such as cryptocurrency, is a forward-looking step that will add significant value for our diverse customer base and support our vision for sustained growth,” said Ramesh Cidambi, managing director of Dubai Duty Free.

“As we continue to expand the everyday use case for crypto, integration with exceptional partners such as Dubai Duty Free will bring real momentum to the digital asset industry and enable both companies to offer genuine innovative finance solutions for our customers,” said Eric Anziani.

Dubai Duty Free saw a strong performance in the first half of the year as it recorded a turnover of Dh4.118 billion, representing a 5.34 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

In the UAE, many property developers are already accepting cryptocurrencies as a mode of payment from buyers.