Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 29: Indian travellers can now use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to book tickets online for At the Top, Burj Khalifa, making it the first attraction in the UAE to accept UPI for e-commerce transactions, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) announced on Wednesday.

The international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said the facility has been introduced in partnership with NEOPAY and Emaar Entertainment.

The integration allows Indian visitors to book tickets and experiences at the world's tallest building through the attraction's official website using UPI-enabled payment applications before travelling to the UAE.

The latest rollout expands NIPL's existing partnership with NEOPAY. Since 2022, Indian travellers have been able to make QR code-based UPI payments at merchants across NEOPAY's network in the UAE. The new initiative extends UPI acceptance to online bookings.

Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI International, said Indian travellers increasingly prefer payment methods that are familiar, simple and seamless while travelling abroad.

He said enabling UPI payments for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa allows visitors to use a trusted payment system while planning their trip, even before arriving in the UAE.

According to NIPL, the initiative aims to meet the growing demand for convenient cross-border digital payments while further strengthening the digital payments ecosystem between India and the UAE.

Vibhor Mundhada, CEO of NEOPAY, said the integration marks a significant milestone in digital commerce between the two countries and makes NEOPAY the first company in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to enable UPI acceptance for e-commerce transactions.

An Emaar Entertainment spokesperson said the introduction of UPI for online bookings would simplify the customer experience for Indian visitors, who form one of the largest international visitor groups to the attraction.