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.

Dubai officials have partnered with cryptocurrency firm Crypto.com to launch cryptocurrency payments for government services in the city, it was announced at the Dubai FinTech Summit on Wednesday.

The agreement, which was signed by officials from the Department of Finance (DOF) and Crypto.com, will allow people to pay for government services using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

It comes as part of Dubai’s plan to go almost completely cashless by 2026.

The partnership will see Crypto.com provide a payment gateway that allows people to use its app to make payments in Bitcoin, which will then be converted into Emirati dirhams and sent to the government’s account. The payments are designed to be simple, fast and secure.

The deal was signed by 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 in deploying the latest technologies and solutions to serve the needs of the community and support its economic vision, especially in the integration of advanced and diverse technological solutions that enhance the efficiency of government services and provide optimal customer experiences, which, in turn, deploys 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 to support the technical aspects of this integration, which reflects the commitment of the government of Dubai in leveraging technology to serve the community and the future generation.”

“We take great pride in Dubai Finance’s role in shaping a digital financial future where innovation and economic growth intertwine seamlessly,” added Al Saleh.

“This partnership with Crypto.com is a big part of moving that forward. We are excited to integrate advanced technologies that provide efficiency, transparency, and seamless experiences for all.”

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 forms part of the Dubai D33 Economic Agenda, which includes using technology 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 in its pursuit to create a technologically advanced and inclusive society, seamlessly merging the physical and digital realms,” said Eric Anziani, President and COO of Crypto.com.

“We’re proud to support this first ever full scale government use of crypto payments. This partnership will provide the residents and businesses of Dubai with the option to easily pay for government services using their preferred cryptocurrencies.”

Technical arrangements for the partnership are still being finalized, and the system is expected to launch in the coming months. Once live, individuals and businesses will be able to select cryptocurrencies in the Crypto.com app, which will then process payments to the government.