Mastercard has launched agentic payments in the UAE, enabling consumers to browse, compare, and purchase through AI-driven digital agents.
As AI is infiltrating individuals’ shopping experiences, transforming the way they pay and connect, Mastercard expands Agent Pay in the UAE. The pilot phase of the rollout sees Mastercard collaborating with fintech Dataiera and Majid Al Futtaim Holding, a player in shopping malls, communities, retail shops, and leisure across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, to launch its solution.
Agentic payments in the UAE
The initiative aims to ensure that payments evolve with the new AI technology with integrity. Mastercard Agent Pay aims to make agentic commerce transparent, secure, and build on consent to help customers and businesses engage confidently with the new tools. Once launched, users will be able to use their AI agent to discover, search, and transact through Mastercard Agent Pay, including purchases for theatre tickets at VOX Cinemas.
The Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications mentioned that the UAE is a global hub for adopting new technologies that improve well-being, strengthen the nation’s competitiveness, and strengthen its position in AI applications. They also added that the region is embracing AI to simplify daily life, advance development, and improve the quality of digital interactions. Introducing AI agents in payment solutions is a milestone in the Minister’s eyes, opening new horizons for the growth and development of the UAE’s digital economy.
Majid Al Futtaim Holding representatives commented on the collaboration, saying that the company sees AI as transformative, with the capability to shape human interaction and commerce. Joining forces with Mastercard for Agent Pay allows the company to combine technology with integrity and responsibility in digital transactions, creating a system for trust and consumer safety.
Mastercard supports the UAE’s efforts to accelerate developments for secure commerce, digitalisation, and global adoption of AI. This is why, alongside the current initiative, the company launched the Center for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology in Dubai in 2023, in collaboration with the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office.
