UPI goes live in UAE; Indians can now make faster cross-border payments

Indian travellers in the UAE can now pay at major stores using the same Unified Payments Interface (UPI) apps they use in India. Now, non-resident Indians (NRI) no longer require Indian contact numbers to access this service. The move is initiated by NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the overseas arm of the National Payments Corporation of India. UPI is now accepted at stores like Lulu Hypermarket and Dubai Duty Free, with more merchants joining through local partnerships.

NIPL has been working with leading UAE payment providers, including NeoPay (Mashreq), Network International and Magnati, to expand QR-code based UPI acceptance across retail, hospitality, transport and entertainment sectors. The system allows real-time transactions directly from Indian bank accounts, showing exchange rates upfront and applying Reserve Bank of India safeguards like two-factor authentication and transaction limits.

Over seven million Indians visit the UAE each year, making them the country’s largest group of international visitors. With UPI integration, tourists can now pay the same way they do back home, using familiar apps without relying on cash or currency conversion.

“The complete integration of UPI and the UAE’s digital infrastructure will change how the Indian diaspora and travellers experience financial transactions here,” said Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai. He added that this step strengthens a decade-long economic partnership between India and the UAE.

NIPL CEO Ritesh Shukla said UPI’s growing presence in the Gulf reflects the global confidence in India’s digital infrastructure.

“This expansion supports the UAE’s cashless economy goals and helps businesses and consumers benefit from faster, safer cross-border payments,” he said.

Dubai aims to digitise 90% of all transactions by 2026. NIPL is aligning with that target by scaling up UPI’s presence and promising a seamless, secure payment experience across sectors.