Payments industry leader MasterCard International sponsors Cards Middle East

Senior decision-makers from the banking, government, telecom and retail sectors, as well as other major corporations from across the Gulf and the Middle East are participating in the two-day conference and exhibition, beginning today at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai.

Mohamed Belarj, senior vice president and general manager, MasterCard International Middle East and North Africa, made the keynote address on the opening day of the conference, speaking on the topic on "modern payment mechanisms in the retail banking strategy - lessons learned".

The most striking feature of the exhibition is the "MasterCard House," which is designed to allow event attendees to experience MasterCard products and services first hand in a modern home environment. The house unveiled in Dubai today, follows successful displays at exhibitions in Asia Pacific and Latin America.

"Cards Middle East provides a relevant forum for us to showcase the programs and services we provide our member financial institutions," Belarj explained. "At MasterCard, we strive to be our members' best business partner by providing relevant card programs, as well as expertise and advice ranging from marketing programs to business opportunities."

"We also are pioneers in e-business solutions, offering enhanced security over the Internet for merchants and cardholders, smart card migration and MasterCard Smart Data OnLine, our best-in-class Internet-based reporting tool for analyzing and managing financial data from cards," explained Belarj.

Inside the house, visitors were able to experience interactive demonstrations and discuss all aspects of the card payments industry with MasterCard experts. Programs and services demonstrated in the house included: e-Business, Corporate Payment Solutions, Pre-paid, Advisors and Marketing.

The e-Business section of the house presents MasterCard's new technological advances, including MasterCard Internet Gateway System (MIGS), MasterCard SecureCode and mobile top-up. The section also provides conference entry cards to all visitors, which allows access to the MasterCard House.

Ivan Jones, vice president, e-Business Development, further demonstrates MasterCard's commitment to the e-business sector by chairing a multi-application smart card panel and by running a half-day workshop on 'Evolving e-business opportunities".

The Corporate Payment Solutions room is designed for those in the public sector and business community who are looking to manage company finances and spending in a better, more efficient way. The exhibition demonstrates how MasterCard Smart Data OnLine works and offered information on a range of corporate payment solutions.

The Products section focuses on pre-paid card programs, a relatively new area in the payments solution industry, but one becoming increasingly popular across the globe, especially in the youth sector.

Visitors to the Marketing room experience football fever in celebration of MasterCard's global long term sponsorship program with FIFA which includes the world's largest sporting event The FIFA World Cup™, UEFA European Football Championship, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Youth Championship™ (which is taking place in the UAE later this year). Visitors will also be able to view award-winning 'Priceless' television commercials used around the world to promote the MasterCard brand.

The Advisors area highlights the global consultancy services now available from MasterCard. Advisors consultants will be on hand to demonstrate how MasterCard's tailored solutions help companies in the payments industry achieve immediate goals, increase efficiencies, and improve their bottom line.