Emirates Adds Crypto Payments for UAE Customers
BITmarkets Team
Jul 29, 2026
Emirates does not retain the cryptocurrency used for the purchase. Crypto.com converts the payment, while the airline receives the amount in UAE dirhams. The move “reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation who manage their money and plan their journeys primarily from their phones,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and chief commercial officer.
Partnership moves from planning to launch
The rollout follows a partnership first announced in July 2025. Crypto.com later received a Stored Value Facilities license from the UAE central bank, which the company said could support payment integrations with Emirates and Dubai Duty Free.
An SVF license allows approved non-bank companies to hold customer funds or crypto in digital wallets and process payments under central bank supervision. Customers can fund transactions using cryptocurrencies, while merchants receive dirhams or approved dirham-backed stablecoins. Crypto.com recorded around $686 million in trading volume over the 24 hours leading up to the report, according to CoinGecko.
Regional airlines expand crypto checkout options
Emirates is not the first airline in the region to support cryptocurrency payments. Air Arabia began accepting the UAE dirham-backed AE Coin stablecoin for flight bookings in May 2025, reflecting the wider adoption of digital asset payments across the country’s travel sector.
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