Emirates enables UAE residents to book flights with cryptocurrency via Crypto.com
In brief
- Emirates launched Crypto.com Pay for UAE residents to book flights with cryptocurrency
- Bookings priced and settled in UAE dirhams; Crypto.com converts crypto to fiat
- Mobile users authorize via Crypto.com app; desktop users scan QR code
- Crypto.com holds UAE central bank Stored Value Facilities license since May 2025
How the service works
Mobile users are sent to the Crypto.com app to authorize payment from their wallet, while desktop customers scan a QR code at checkout. Emirates settles in UAE dirhams rather than holding crypto, with Crypto.com handling the conversion. The service is limited to eligible UAE residents.
Regulatory backdrop
Crypto.com received a UAE central bank Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license in May 2025. An SVF license allows non-bank companies to hold customers' money or crypto in a digital wallet and process payments under central bank oversight. The partnership between Emirates and Crypto.com was announced in July 2025, with the launch now live on both the airline's website and mobile app.
Crypto adoption in UAE aviation
The move positions Emirates alongside other regional carriers exploring crypto payments. Air Arabia began accepting the dirham-backed AE Coin stablecoin for flight bookings in May 2025. Both initiatives reflect growing interest from UAE-based travel operators in serving customers who prefer crypto settlement.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates' deputy president and chief commercial officer, noted the strategic reasoning: "reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation who manage their money and plan their journeys primarily from their phones."
