Dubai: NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the global arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has announced major progress in expanding Unified Payments Interface (UPI) acceptance across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a clear roadmap to deepen the platform’s integration further. The move is part of efforts to support the UAE’s vision of a cashless economy and enhance cross-border payment convenience for millions of Indians who travel to the UAE each year.

UPI, India’s real-time account-to-account payment system, is known for enabling instant, secure transactions through mobile apps. Handling over 18 billion transactions monthly, UPI has become one of the most robust and scalable digital payment platforms globally. Its open and secure architecture has allowed it to adapt seamlessly to regulatory environments outside India, including the UAE.

With over seven million Indian visitors to the UAE annually, as per India’s Ministry of Tourism, the region stands as one of India’s busiest travel and remittance corridors. The integration of UPI across UAE merchants enables Indian travellers to make payments directly through apps they already use in India, offering ease of transaction, improved business efficiency, and reduced operational costs for merchants.

His Excellency Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai, highlighted the initiative’s significance:
“The experience of the Indian diaspora and Indian travellers to the UAE will be transformed through the complete integration of UPI into the UAE’s digital payment ecosystem. The joint effort by NIPL and UAE stakeholders promises a seamless, secure payment environment that will further strengthen the India-UAE economic partnership.”

In recent years, NIPL has established partnerships with key UAE-based financial institutions and payment providers—including NeoPay (Mashreq), Network International, and Magnati—to enable QR-based UPI acceptance across a rapidly expanding network of merchants. Major retailers like Dubai Duty Free and Lulu Hypermarket are already accepting UPI payments, allowing Indian customers to pay directly from their Indian bank accounts.

Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI International, said:
“Our expansion in the UAE represents a major milestone in globalizing India’s digital payment ecosystem. UPI is not only simplifying transactions for millions of Indian residents and travellers, but also aligning with the UAE’s digital transformation goals. Through real-time, secure payments, we are empowering both businesses and consumers while enhancing bilateral financial connectivity.”

To support widespread adoption, NIPL is closely working with UAE regulators and payment acquirers to enable UPI transactions in high-usage sectors like retail, hospitality, transport, entertainment, and essential services. UPI transactions in the UAE will support real-time payments in Indian rupees, display transparent exchange rates, and maintain safeguards such as two-factor authentication, transaction limits, and RBI-mandated controls for international usage.

The initiative aligns with the Dubai Government’s goal to make 90% of all transactions digital by 2026. NIPL’s continued efforts in expanding UPI’s presence in the UAE reflect its commitment to building a seamless and secure digital payment infrastructure that benefits consumers, merchants, and the wider economy.