Written by Bryan O’Sheastaff editorReviewed by Robert Lakinstaff editor

Written by Bryan O’Sheastaff editor

Reviewed by Robert Lakinstaff editor

Emirates enables UAE residents to pay for flights through Crypto.com

Latest NewsPublishedJul 29, 2026

The service is limited to eligible UAE residents and bookings are priced and settled in dirhams.

Emirates, the Dubai-based flagship carrier, has introduced Crypto.com Pay on its website and app, enabling eligible United Arab Emirates residents make flight bookings with cryptocurrencies, the airline stated Tuesday.

Mobile users are sent to the Crypto.com app to authorize payment from their wallet, while desktop customers scan a QR code at checkout, the companies stated in an announcement. Emirates settles in UAE dirhams rather than holding crypto, with Crypto.com handling the conversion.

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,” stated Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and chief commercial officer. Neither company indicated whether they would expand the Emirates service beyond eligible UAE residents.

The launch implements a partnership revealed in July 2025. Cointelegraph reported in May that Crypto.com had received a UAE central bank Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license, which the company stated at the time could support integrations with Emirates and Dubai Duty Free.

An SVF license allows non-bank companies to hold customers’ money or crypto in a digital wallet and process payments under central bank oversight. It lets customers fund payments with cryptocurrencies while merchants receive dirhams or approved dirham-backed stablecoins.

as reported by CoinGecko, Crypto.com handled around $686 million in trading volume in the 24 hours up to the time of writing. 

Emirates is not the region’s first airline to add a crypto checkout option. Air Arabia began accepting the dirham-backed AE Coin stablecoin for flight bookings in May 2025.

Related: Bhutan launches tourism crypto payments with Binance Pay and DK Bank

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

• Dubai
• UAE
• Airlines
• Adoption
• Crypto.com
• Blockchain

More on the subject

Uniswap founder rejects claims v4 fees reduce LP earnings

7 hours ago

Yohan Yun

News Brief

Tether signs tokenization deal with Nairobi Securities Exchange

9 hours ago

Yohan Yun

News Brief

European financial institutions launch RL1 cooperative blockchain network

12 hours ago

Ezra Reguerra

News Brief

Uniswap founder rejects claims v4 fees reduce LP earnings

7 hours ago

Yohan Yun

News Brief

Tether signs tokenization deal with Nairobi Securities Exchange

9 hours ago

Yohan Yun

News Brief

European financial institutions launch RL1 cooperative blockchain network

12 hours ago

Ezra Reguerra

News Brief