UAE’s Abu Dhabi Airports Signs Pact to Enable Cashless Crypto-Linked Travel

Under the agreement, the partners will develop a regulated digital wallet tailored for travelers. Through this wallet, passengers will be able to conduct cashless transactions across airport services, including retail, dining, and transport facilities. The architecture will explore the use of stablecoins or other digital-asset mechanisms to enable faster settlements, reduce currency-conversion friction, and simplify cross-border payments. The aim is to provide utility-based digital transactions rather than speculative trading.

A steering committee will govern and oversee implementation. Within this framework, Abu Dhabi Airports will supply infrastructure access, vendor integration, and ecosystem support. Al Hail Holding will lead governance, regulatory engagement, and financial structuring, drawing on its affiliates such as Zand Bank and Index Exchange. Xare, a fintech technology provider, will build the wallet’s architecture, merchant connectivity, onboarding workflows, and user interface.

Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, emphasized that the partnership reflects the company’s vision to transform the travel experience through innovation and digital finance. “Airports are evolving from gateways into platforms for seamless digital commerce. Through our partnership with Al Hail Holding and Xare we will pilot cashless, next-generation payment technologies that simplify every step of the traveler journey and redefine convenience, sustainability and financial access, while showcasing UAE as the ideal launchpad for a digital economy.”

Hamad Jassim Al Darwish, Chief Executive Officer of Al Hail Holding, highlighted the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to advancing the UAE’s digital transformation goals and strengthening the nation’s economic landscape. “We are proud to collaborate with Abu Dhabi Airports on this forward-looking initiative. Together, we aim to create new opportunities that align with the UAE’s vision for a digital and diversified economy. By combining our expertise in governance, regulatory engagement and financial services with Abu Dhabi Airports’ operational capabilities, we will deliver innovative solutions that benefit travelers and contribute to the growth of the national economy.”

Milind Singh, Co-Founder of Xare, expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with Abu Dhabi Airports and Al Hail Holding to drive innovation in travel commerce and digital payments. “Xare is thrilled to partner with two leading institutions to bring the future of travel commerce to life. By leveraging our unique tech stack—spanning instant onboarding, programmable payments, and merchant connectivity—we can unlock entirely new traveler experiences and monetization opportunities across the airport and the wider city. This pilot sets the stage for a seamless, cashless journey from touchdown to take-off.”

This initiative aligns closely with the UAE Digital Economy Strategy and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, both of which emphasize the role of technology, fintech, and digital assets in diversifying the economy and modernizing public services. By embedding digital payments into an environment with extremely high throughput like an international airport, Abu Dhabi is showcasing how fintech can enhance daily experiences for global travelers while reducing dependence on local currency exchange and lowering transactional friction across borders.

In the broader UAE context, the move complements developments in other sectors. Dubai’s Emirates airline recently signed a preliminary deal to introduce cryptocurrency payments via Crypto.com, suggesting that the region is accelerating efforts to integrate digital-asset infrastructure into mainstream travel, transport, and service industries. This signals that the UAE views blockchain-based finance as a cornerstone of its competitiveness in global commerce.

The project offers several potential advantages for both travelers and operators. A unified digital wallet would simplify the traveler experience by reducing reliance on physical cash and multiple cards, leading to faster checkouts and smoother service. Stablecoin-based transactions could enable near-instant settlement, cutting costs associated with traditional cross-border banking. Payment data, handled transparently and in compliance with privacy laws, could also generate valuable insights into spending trends, supporting more efficient operations and targeted service improvements. By adopting this system early, Abu Dhabi can also position itself as a technology leader, strengthening its reputation as a global travel and fintech hub.

This pilot represents one of the most ambitious experiments yet in embedding digital-asset payments within an international airport. If successful, Abu Dhabi Airports may expand the system across its network and connect it with broader digital ecosystems in the city and beyond. The initiative could serve as a blueprint for other nations exploring how to combine tourism infrastructure with fintech innovation, particularly in regions pursuing digital transformation agendas.

The Abu Dhabi Airports–Al Hail partnership ultimately demonstrates a confident step towards redefining the relationship between physical travel and digital finance. By turning an airport into a testing ground for next-generation payment systems, the UAE is signaling that the future of global mobility lies not only in the movement of people, but in the evolution of the financial technologies that support them.