Dubai becomes a ‘cashless’ city

Dubai has decided to completely abandon cash and coins – thanks to the decision of the local authorities, the emirate will become a cashless city, i.e. will switch to digital payments.

According to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, the emirate aims to become one of the top five cities in the world in terms of cashless payments.

Banking apps and credit cards will be the main payment method. The transition to cashless payments, meanwhile, does not mean that cash will completely disappear. Meanwhile, it is planned that 100 per cent of shops will accept card and app payments.

Innovative payment methods will also be introduced: for example, it will be possible to make a payment by putting the palm of your hand to the terminal. The new cashless plan has been designed with consumers, payment service providers and merchants in mind to make payments more convenient and faster.

The Dubai Executive Council, as previously reported, has also approved the construction of a 65 kilometre-long smart overhead transport system. The innovative transport network will connect the streets of Umm Suqeim Street, Al Khor and Zabeel neighbourhoods.

Through this initiative, the share of autonomous or unmanned public transport journeys in Dubai will increase to 25 per cent by 2030. The ride-hailing system will be integrated with other modes of transport to enhance urban mobility.

It is worth recalling that the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority had earlier unveiled mock-ups of Dubai Sky modules, which are based on suspended transport technology, at the World Government Summit. Passengers will be able to enjoy scenic views of the city, while the pods will always move horizontally.

Source: Time Out Dubai