e& and Mastercard partner to drive an ambitious digital future for consumers in 16 markets across the Middle East, Asia and Africa

• Mastercard’s technology solutions and digital payment expertise will help revolutionize payments, loyalty and personalization as e& transforms its consumer offerings
• e& accelerates ambitions to enhance e& international’s consumers’ digital journey and maintain robust digital leadership by providing innovative financial services

Dubai, UAE; 27 February 2023: e& has announced a strategic partnership with Mastercard that will see consumers and businesses in 16 markets across the Middle East, Asia and Africa benefit from a variety of new technologies and user-friendly experiences powered by Mastercard’s capabilities when using digital financial services provided by e& operating companies.

These experiences include providing consumers with innovative alternatives to how they choose to pay for a variety of lifestyle activities. Consumers will also benefit from exciting, personalized offerings and opportunities to engage with multiple brands.

Mastercard will support e& as it expands its financial services ecosystem across its footprint by integrating digital payment services and tools into people’s day-to-day lives. The collaboration will enhance the consumer user-experience journey and encourage greater agility and flexibility in business operations.

The benefits will impact consumers whether they are making purchases in-store or online. They will also be able to send and receive money internationally between people and businesses through a simple, safe and convenient remittance payment option.

Mikhail Gerchuk, CEO, e& international, said: “Consumers’ payment behaviors and spending habits have changed dramatically over the last few years, and it is imperative that we stay innovative to create solutions that enhance their digital journey. Our strong presence in 16 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, provides multiple opportunities to scale synergies, explore growth opportunities and identify new possibilities to work in collaboration with strategic partners. Through our partnership with Mastercard, we will ramp up our efforts to bring financial offerings that consumers most need in the digital age.”

Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA, at Mastercard, said: “We are delighted to partner with e& during its transformation journey by delivering the technology and expertise that can take consumer engagement to a completely new level. This collaboration further strengthens Mastercard’s position as a trusted partner for ambitious businesses who want to expand customer choice and access.”

Mastercard’s goal is to bring 1 billion people into the digital economy by 2025, including 50 million micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with a focus on 25 million women entrepreneurs. Mastercard is creating a future where payments keep pace with the way we live, work and do business, accelerated by the rapid transition to digital solutions and offerings. As more people enter the financial mainstream, money management tools and solutions must be fit for purpose – inclusive for all, digitally driven and built on a foundation of security.

e& launched its new brand identity in February last year. Its strategy aims to accelerate growth through the creation of a resilient business model representing the group’s main business pillars. The telecoms business currently continues to be led by etisalat by e& in e&’s home market and by e& international in its international markets, upholding the group’s rich telecoms heritage, bolstering the strong telecoms network and maximizing value for the group’s various customer segments.

Ramping up the digital services for individual customers to elevate their digital-first lifestyle, e& life brings next-generation technologies through smart platforms in entertainment, retail and financial technology. To maximize the digital potential of governments, large-scale enterprises and corporates, e& enterprise focuses on delivering innovative digital vertical value propositions through its end-to-end solutions in cybersecurity, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as deploying mega projects. e& capital allows the group to focus its efforts on driving new investments while maximizing shareholder value and strengthening its global presence.