India’s NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has announced a partnership with Network International (Network) to enable QR code-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) across Network’s point-of-sale (POS) terminals.
This move aims to streamline transactions for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Indian tourists a wide merchant network in the region.
The announcement was made at a event in Dubai on Wednesday, July 3, attended by India’s Consul General Satish Kumar Sivan and representatives from Network International and NPCI International.
The new payment option is now accessible at over 200,000 POS terminals across 60,000 merchants in retail, hospitality, transport, and supermarkets among others.
According to NPCI International, UPI acceptance will gradually be introduced across various retail stores, dining outlets, and tourist attractions like Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates.
By enabling UPI acceptance through its POS terminals, Network will provide a QR-based safe and secure method for facilitating cross-border payments. This will allow Indian tourists and NRIs with Indian bank accounts to use UPI for payments across Network’s POS terminals in the UAE.
Speaking about the launch, Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International, said,
“Our partnership with Network International will expand UPI’s presence in the UAE, promoting seamless payment experiences for Indian travelers and promoting the use of innovative digital payment solutions.”
Jamal Al Nassai, Group Managing Director for Merchant Services – MENA at Network International, commented,
“The launch of this partnership is a milestone for our extensive merchant network, which stands to benefit immensely from the new payment method. As the leading acquirer in the region, Network will leverage its 30-year legacy of technological innovation to enable acceptance of UPI-based payment apps to its merchants to drive global interoperability.”
Expressed excitement about the partnership, Nandan Mer, Group CEO of Network International, said,
“We are pleased to collaborate with NPCI International Payments Limited to enhance the payment landscape for Indian visitors and residents in the UAE. By facilitating transactions in their preferred method, we move closer to our goal of empowering businesses and merchants with cutting-edge payment technologies, advancing the vision of a digital UAE. This partnership is poised to foster a resilient digital payments ecosystem that promotes cashless transactions.”
The number of Indian tourists traveling to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is projected to reach 9.8 million in 2024, with the UAE expecting 5.29 million arrivals from India.
UPI is India’s largest instant payments system with over 350 million active users, and it processed 14.04 billion transactions in May 2024 alone.
