• GCAA’s adoption of Emirates NBD’s leading digital payment solution to upgrade and automate a full range of essential payment transactions carried out by the Authority

• Another key milestone to fully integrate an H2H system within the framework of a UAE federal entity, this new service aligns with GCAA’s ongoing strategies of digital innovation, driving paperless transactions and zero bureaucracy

• Newly announced partnership highlights Emirates NBD’s trusted expertise as a leading financial and technology partner to GCAA

Dubai, UAE: Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, has announced a new partnership with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the federal body created to oversee all aviation-related activities in the UAE, to facilitate a new Host-to-Host (H2H) payment solution.

The collaboration will see the GCAA work closely with Emirates NBD to facilitate, streamline and fully automate all digital transactions involving the authority’s network of aviation clients, suppliers and partners, both in the UAE and beyond, in a highly secure environment.

Developed by Emirates NBD’s Transaction Banking Services department, the H2H platform will provide comprehensive support to the GCAA’s ongoing strategies of digital innovation, driving a paperless environment and zero bureaucracy by providing advanced, internet-based solutions that allow for instant connectivity and the facilitation of secure and fully automated payments. Without the need for time-consuming manual processes, the H2H platform streamlines and safeguards payments made to the GCAA’s ecosystem of vendors through each stage of the transaction process.

The result of an extensive period of planning, testing and preparation between payment and systems experts from Emirates NBD and the GCAA, the new partnership will allow the Authority to apply new levels of efficiency across its diverse operational imperatives to further support the growth of the UAE’s aviation industry.

Emirates NBD’s provision of its innovative H2H system is part of the bank’s commitment to empowering key stakeholders within the UAE’s aviation sector while also providing strategic value through innovation, security and seamless connectivity.

Ahmed Al Qassim, Group Head of Wholesale Banking at Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD’s partnership with the General Civil Aviation Authority is another example of key stakeholders seeking out our established and trusted expertise as the go-to leaders in financial technology solutions. A landmark collaboration, it paves the way for new and exciting opportunities for Emirates NBD to support and enable an industry that is a critical driver of the UAE’s economic engine and long-term vision. Through the integration of our H2H platform within the GCAA’s payments infrastructure, we’re not only enhancing business operations, but helping to supercharge the GCAA’s ongoing strategy of digitization, optimization, and innovation.”

Omar Bin Ghaleb, Deputy Director General of the GCAA said: “As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital infrastructure of the General Civil Aviation Authority and to streamline our services for greater efficiency, we are constantly seeking innovative solutions that align with our strategic goals. Our partnership with Emirates NBD marks a significant step in this direction, helping us to achieve greater efficiencies across our payments ecosystem and benefiting our work throughout the UAE’s rapidly expanding aviation industry. This collaboration represents a unique proposition that empowers us to meet our automation and digitization targets. The adoption of the H2H digital payment platform also supports the long-term development of robust connections with key institutions and clients, both in the UAE and beyond.”

link to the press release and image: https://we.tl/t-x1RA6K4akd

About Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD (DFM: Emirates NBD) is a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye) region with a presence in 13 countries, serving over 9 million active customers. As of 30th September 2025, total assets were AED 1.139 trillion, (equivalent to approx. USD 310.1 billion). The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, India, Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Russia and Bahrain and representative offices in China and Indonesia with a total of 797 branches and 4,526 ATMs / SDMs. Emirates NBD is the leading financial services brand in the UAE with a Brand value of USD 4.54 billion.  

Emirates NBD Group serves its customers (individuals, businesses, governments, and institutions) and helps them realise their financial objectives through a range of banking products and services including retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management, global markets and treasury, and brokerage operations. The Group is a key participant in the global digital banking industry with 97% of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches. The Group also operates Liv, the lifestyle digital bank by Emirates NBD, with close to half a million users, it continues to be the fastest-growing bank in the region.

Emirates NBD contributes to the construction of a sustainable future as an active participant and supporter of the UAE’s main development and sustainability initiatives, including financial wellness and the inclusion of people of determination. Emirates NBD is committed to supporting the UAE’s Year of Sustainability as Principal Banking Partner of COP28 and an early supporter to the Dubai Can sustainability initiative, a city-wide initiative aimed to reduce use of single-use plastic bottled water.

About GCAA

The General Civil Aviation Authority was created in 1996 by Federal Cabinet Decree (Law 4) to regulate Civil Aviation and provide designated aviation services with observance to the safety and security to strengthen the aviation industry within the UAE and its upper space. Since 1996, the Authority has made considerable progress and embarked on bold new initiatives to provide a better service to its civil aviation clients and stakeholders. Since 1996, many new projects and innovations have been initiated with generally excellent results, such as the modernization of the air traffic control center program, Radar equipment, and the establishment of new facilities to serve the growth of civil aviation within the UAE.