Dubai is officially making Bitcoin a part of everyday life.
At the Dubai FinTech Summit, the city’s Department of Finance (DOF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crypto.com enabling people to use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to pay for government services.
The deal was signed with Dubai officials including His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti and His Excellency Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, and was made official by Ahmad Ali Meftah from DOF and Mohammed Al Hakim, President of Crypto.com UAE.
“Dubai continues to advance through coordinated efforts… deploying the latest secure financial technology solutions that support its cashless strategy,” said Al Basti. “I extend my sincere appreciation to the Department of Finance for enabling new global partnerships.”
This move is part of Dubai’s plan to go almost completely cashless by 2026. With this partnership, people will have the option to use Crypto.com’s app to pay in Bitcoin, which will then get converted into Emirati dirhams and sent straight to the government. It’s designed to be simple, fast, and secure.
“We take great pride in Dubai Finance’s role in shaping a digital financial future,” added Al Saleh. “This partnership with Crypto.com is a big part of moving that forward.”
Ahmad Ali Meftah stated that this kind of public private collaboration is what helps build trust, push innovation, and make financial systems more accessible for everyone.
This is all part of Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda, which includes using tech and innovation to grow the economy. The government expects this to bring in at least AED8 billion every year.
“The Government of Dubai has been a true global visionary,” stated Eric Anziani, President and COO of Crypto.com. “We’re proud to support this first ever full scale government use of crypto payments.”
Technical arrangements still need to be finalized before the system goes live. Once that happens, individuals and businesses will be able to make government payments through Crypto.com’s platform.
