Dubai’s government just announced you can now pay your government fees using basically any digital wallet you want: Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, WeChat Pay, and even India’s UPI system. This is huge for anyone living there or just visiting.
The Dubai Department of Finance is rolling this out across all government entities by the end of 2025. Residents, businesses, and tourists can all use it through the DubaiPay and DubaiNow apps. No more dealing with cash or card machines for government stuff.
This fits into Dubai’s bigger plan to go almost completely cashless by the end of 2026, aiming to get cash transactions below 10%. They’re basically trying to make paying for government services as easy as ordering food delivery.
The move is especially helpful for tourists and expats who don’t want to mess around with local payment systems. Just pull out your phone, tap, and you’re done. Way simpler than figuring out what payment methods the government accepts.
Digital payments are absolutely exploding in the UAE right now. One report showed residents holding $30 billion in digital assets with 42% year-over-year growth. The government’s pushing hard to make the country a digital economy leader.
Uzbekistan’s doing something similar too, partnering with Alipay+ so their citizens can pay using local currency when traveling abroad. The whole region is racing to modernize payment systems.
Conclusion
Dubai’s push toward universal digital payments makes everyday services faster, tourist-friendly, and nearly cash-free. By embracing global wallets and simplifying government transactions, Dubai strengthens its position as a forward-thinking, digitally driven economy shaping the future of payments in the region.
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