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Dubai, UAE: As recovery of the travel industry picks up steam, payments technology company Mastercard and travel website Musafir have partnered to take travel bookings originating in the Middle East and North Africa, to new heights. The exclusive partnership will digitize end-to-end payment flows and launch new innovative payment products with attractive travel benefits to both consumers and corporates.
According to an analysis by the Mastercard Economics Institute, if flight booking trends continue at their current pace, an estimated 115 million more passengers in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa will fly in 2022 compared to last year. The research reveals that global leisure and business flight bookings have surpassed pre-pandemic levels with an estimated 1.5 billion more passengers predicted to fly in 2022 compared to 2021.
“At Mastercard we are committed to contribute to the continued recovery of the travel and tourism sector through insights, data analysis, innovative digital solutions and unique partner collaborations. We are continuously investing to innovate across the travel value chain. We are excited to partner with Musafir to provide digital-first experiences to their consumers,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard.
"Our partnership with Mastercard is a testament to our belief that travel is back and our commitment to providing both consumers and corporates with technology-led travel solutions," said Sachin Gadoya, Co-founder and CEO of Musafir.com.
Musafir.com is the UAE’s first online travel agency and is among the leading corporate travel management companies in the region.
Mastercard and Musafir have signed an exclusive partnership to launch innovative payment products and solutions across the MENA region, benefiting both consumers and corporates. These will help digitize end-to-end payment flows, providing Musafir customers with unparalleled travel benefits whilst empowering corporate clients with integrated travel expense management solutions.
Musafir is making bold moves in leveraging technology to simplify travel and enhance the customer experience. Musafir recently launched an all-in-one Business Travel Management solution that seamlessly enables organizations to manage travel through automated approval workflows and travel policy compliance.
Musafir's Business Platform also empowers organizations with insightful reporting covering carbon emissions tracking, spend analytics and much more. Over 1,700 businesses are leveraging the Musafir Business Platform to realise savings of up to 20% on their annual travel spend. Musafir aims to expand its presence to four international locations by the end of the year to meet the growing demand for its services.
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About Mastercard (NYSE:MA):
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.
Mastercard Communications contact: Amelia.Naidoo@mastercard.com
About Musafir
The word musafir (pronounced moo-saa-fir) means “traveller” in Arabic and we at musafir.com are committed to providing travellers with a premium experience. We offer flights to over 3,000 destinations, hotel stays in over more than 1 million properties, holiday experiences and corporate travel. Through Musafir, we support over 1700 corporates in managing their travel seamlessly.
