Media

H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance of the UAE, today met with Suzan Kereere, President, Global Markets at PayPal, one of the world’s leading digital payment platforms.

During the meeting, H.H. congratulated PayPal on the opening of its new regional hub in Dubai Internet City and affirmed Dubai’s commitment to supporting its continued growth and success in the region. The new hub will serve as PayPal’s operational base for 80 countries across the Middle East and Africa.

Sheikh Maktoum also highlighted the UAE’s vision to be a leading player in accelerating the global shift towards a digital economy. H.H. underscored Dubai’s ambition to create a dynamic and resilient financial ecosystem that fosters innovation, safeguards trust, and unlocks opportunity across borders. Discussions explored avenues for partnerships in digital payment systems, supporting the growth of SMEs and e-commerce, and enhancing cross-border financial connectivity, capitalising on the UAE’s strengths in the industry.

H.H. noted that Dubai’s advanced regulatory environment and future-ready digital infrastructure have made it an ideal base for global financial institutions seeking to expand into high-growth emerging markets in the region. PayPal’s growing operations in the region, using Dubai as a base, reflects the city’s rising stature as a hub for next-generation financial services and its progress towards becoming one of the world’s top four financial centres under the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, he added.

Founded in 1998, PayPal serves over 430 million customers across more than 200 markets, enabling seamless, secure digital transactions. The company processed nearly $1.7 trillion in payment volume and recorded $31.8 billion in net revenue in 2024. 

The meeting was attended by Helal Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; Hesham Al Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD; and Malek Al Malek, Chairman of TECOM Group.