Indians can now book Burj Khalifa tickets using UPI before Dubai trip

Indian travellers planning a Dubai visit can now book tickets for At the Top, Burj Khalifa using UPI-enabled payment apps, allowing them to complete the payment before reaching the UAE.

The facility makes Burj Khalifa the first attraction in the UAE to accept UPI for online ticket bookings, according to NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The service has been launched through a partnership between NIPL, NEOPAY, and Emaar Entertainment, which operates Burj Khalifa's observation deck experience.

Under the new system, visitors from India can purchase tickets and experiences for At the Top, Burj Khalifa through the attraction's official website using UPI apps linked to their bank accounts.

For Indian tourists, this means they can complete their booking using a payment method they are already familiar with while still in India, instead of depending only on international cards or other payment options after arriving in Dubai.

The move comes as Dubai continues to remain one of the most popular international destinations for Indian travellers.

UPI was already available at UAE merchants

UPI acceptance in the UAE is not entirely new. Since 2022, Indian visitors have been able to make QR code-based UPI payments at merchants across NEOPAY's network in the country.

The latest development expands that facility from physical merchant payments to online transactions, allowing travellers to use UPI even before their Dubai journey begins.

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

According to NIPL, the integration supports the growing demand for convenient cross-border digital payments and further strengthens the digital payment connection between India and the UAE.

What this means for Indian tourists visiting Dubai

Dubai attracts a large number of visitors from India every year, making Indian travellers one of the key international visitor groups for attractions such as Burj Khalifa.

The introduction of UPI for online bookings could make trip planning easier for tourists who prefer using Indian digital payment platforms for travel expenses.

NEOPAY CEO Vibhor Mundhada said the integration makes NEOPAY the first company in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to enable UPI acceptance for e-commerce transactions.

The UAE has been among the countries where India's UPI system has expanded internationally as part of efforts to improve cross-border digital payments.

With UPI now available for Burj Khalifa bookings, Indian visitors can use the same payment ecosystem for both planning their experience and making payments at participating locations during their UAE trip.

With IANS inputs