Etisalat, Emirates NBD, Gemalto and Visa bring mobile contactless payments to the UAE

The partnership between Emirates NBD, the region's largest bank in terms of assets, Etisalat the largest telecom operator in the Arab world, Gemalto, the world leader in digital security and Visa, the world's largest payment network, will allow Emirates NBD Visa cardholders to purchase goods and services simply by using their Etisalat contactless mobile phones.

The payment is made simply by waving the NFC-enabled phone in front of the payment terminal eliminating the need for the traditional swiping of payment cards. This method of payment is fast and simple and will enable a transaction to be completed in a matter of seconds, reducing queuing times and benefitting consumers and merchants alike. The mobile NFC (Near Field Communications) contactless technology operates within a 4cm range and customers will have a passcode to make transactions more secure.

Purchases will be charged directly to the customer's Emirates NBD Visa credit card account just as they would be with a traditional card payment. NFC enabled mobile phones will soon be available from major handset manufacturers like Samsung & Nokia in the UAE and Etisalat is working to bring these to market.

At Gitex Technology Week 2009, Etisalat and Gemalto is also exhibiting the use of Mobile Contactless technology as an innovative retail marketing tool via smart posters and coupons which are being demonstrated at Etisalat's Gitex stand. The ability to tap smart posters and receive product information or coupons directly to a mobile phone presents an exciting innovation in marketing for retail businesses.

Mr. Jamal Bin Ghalaita, Deputy CEO, Emirates NBD said,

"Emirates NBD believes contactless mobile payment services will be a key lifestyle driver for our highly mobile customer base, and we are delighted to be the a leading bank to deliver this innovative service to them. Emirates NBD aspires to become the UAE's leader and pioneer in banking technology. Our partnership with Etisalat is the perfect union to test this contactless technology and will inevitably transform banking as we know it today, as both organisations are leaders in their game and hence, are fully equipped for such a bold innovation."

According to Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, "The mobile phone has become a key personal device and it is our strategy to employ the latest technology and innovation to drive even greater value for our customers. We hope that this initiative will provide a new dimension to areas like ticketing, retail marketing and electronic payments thus paving the way for advanced NFC services on mobile phones."
Rémi de Fouchier, Senior Vice President, Trusted Services Management at Gemalto, said "Gemalto has gathered considerable experience in providing managed TSM services for secure NFC application deployment and management. In cooperating with Etisalat, Emirates NBD and VISA, we are delighted to contribute to further develop NFC market in such a dynamic region".

Iyad Issa, General Manager, Nokia, Lower Gulf, said, "For the NFC ecosystem to move forward, cooperation between the different stakeholders is important, and the trials that Etisalat is conducting with NBD with the support of Nokia devices ensure that the service is moving in the right direction."

"Samsung is one of the pioneers working on the NFC technology and is closely working with Etisalat on the project to have devices commercially available very soon in the UAE market," said Sandeep Saihgal, General Manager , Telecommunication Division , Samsung Gulf Electronics.