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du Considers Adding Crypto & Investment Tools To New Service

The company plans to bridge gaps in one of the financial market’s most underserved demographics, according to its CEO.

Published

2 years ago

April 23, 2024

du considers adding crypto and investment tools to new service

The Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, better known as Dubai-based du, is contemplating incorporating cryptocurrency and investment tools into its recently launched financial technology platform, according to CEO Nicolas Levi.

According to Levi, the potential enhancements would enable improved portfolio management for investors. The new tools and features would be realized through future partnerships while continuing to adhere to strict UAE regulations.

“Cryptocurrencies are being used as an investment. Will we have an investment product one day potentially? I’m not saying no to that. Will we use crypto for our own transactions? There are some plans with the [UAE] central bank to work on that,” Levi said in a recent interview.

The UAE Central Bank does not currently recognize cryptocurrencies as legal tender. However, the regulator began implementing its own form of digital currency back in March 2023, known as Digital Dirham. Additionally, the UAE Central Bank’s endorsement of legitimate crypto enterprises for banking services underscores the Emirates’ commitment to addressing real-world financial needs.

Also Read: Lebanese Newspaper Builds AI President To Beat Political Crisis

du Pay, the company’s inaugural venture into the FinTech sector, had a soft launch earlier this month after UAE Central Bank authorization. Offering an array of financial services like domestic and international transfers, bill payments, recharges, and salary receipts through a unique IBAN, du Pay marks a significant strategic move by the telecom firm into the digital finance space.

The rising trend of mobile-based financial services in the UAE, including digital wallets and online payments, mirrors global trends. Statista projects the digital payments market to balloon to $16.7 trillion by 2028, at a CAGR exceeding 9.5% from 2024’s estimated $11.53 trillion.

Related Topics:Cryptocurrency Du FinTech

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Trip.com Is Betting An AI Agent Will Book Your Next Vacation

Abu Dhabi, Jazeera Airways and a run of hotel deals give the company more inventory. Its Mastercard demo says the most about where booking technology is headed.

Published

18 hours ago

September 16, 2026

Nour Nasir

trip.com is betting an ai agent will book your next vacation

Most of what Trip.com Group announced at Arabian Travel Market 2026 this week reads like the standard expansion playbook of an online travel agency: a new agreement with a tourism board, a run of hotel partnerships, an airline deal. However, one item was considerably more interesting: a demonstration built with Mastercard of an AI agent that doesn’t just suggest trips but also pays for them.

trip.com tripgenie ai agent

The showcase put TripGenie, the company’s AI travel assistant, to work searching, selecting and completing purchases inside a single booking flow, with Mastercard’s Agent Suite for Merchants handling the payment step and Network International processing the transactions on the merchant side. It’s limited for now to attractions and ancillary services, but the partners plan a phased commercial rollout from early 2027.

“As traveller expectations change, technology and AI will play an increasingly important role in how people plan their journeys,” says Schubert Lou, CEO of Trip.com.

Meanwhile, in more conventional news, CEO Lou and Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry (Director General for Tourism at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi), signed an agreement building on the two organizations’ existing partnership, with joint marketing and Abu Dhabi destination content to be pushed across Trip.com Group’s platforms.

Also Read: Musk’s Boring Company Wants To Dig 150 KM Of Tunnel Under The UAE

On accommodation, the group expanded its partnerships with JA Hotels & Resorts, Ishraq Hospitality and Aleph Hospitality and deepened its work with Silkhaus, which brings vacation homes into a portfolio that has so far leaned on hotels. Jazeera Airways signed a strategic partnership intended to widen the Kuwaiti carrier’s reach and encourage earlier bookings, tied to Kuwait’s own tourism ambitions.

The company moved into a larger Dubai office earlier this year and describes its long-term aim as a two-way ecosystem: sending Middle East travelers abroad while drawing international visitors in.