Emirates, Crypto.com launch Crypto.com Pay for flight bookings in the UAE

Emirates and Crypto.com have launched Crypto.com Pay for flight bookings in the UAE, moving the airline’s crypto-linked payments plan from memorandum stage to a live checkout option. The feature is available to eligible UAE residents booking through Emirates’ website and mobile app, with pricing and settlement in Emirati dirham. Travelers with a Crypto.com account can choose Crypto.com Pay at checkout on emirates.com or in the Emirates App. Emirates said the setup allows Crypto.com customers to use digital assets to make payments, while the integration is handled through Crypto.com’s Dubai-licensed entity, which the company says was the first virtual asset service provider to receive a Stored Value Facilities license from the Central Bank of the UAE. Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said the move reflects the preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation that manages money and travel planning on mobile devices. The launch also supports Dubai’s Cashless Strategy under the D33 Economic Agenda, which aims to make 90% of transactions across government and private sectors digital by the end of 2026, and follows earlier digital-payments partnerships involving both Emirates and Dubai Finance.