Dubai, 4 May, 2016: Network International, the leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa region won the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award at the Business Excellence awards hosted by the Department of Economic Development. The payment solutions provider was recognised for the outstanding quality of its business processes in the past year.

The award was presented by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, to the Chairman of Network International, Abdulla Qassem, and CEO, Bhairav Trivedi. The award ceremony was held at the Arena Ballroom in the Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Commenting on the award, Abdulla Qassem said: "We feel truly accomplished to have achieved this prestigious recognition from the Department of Economic Development to become the UAE's largest acquirer and a market leader in the region without compromising on quality. While we have enjoyed transformational growth in the past couple of years, we prioritise the quality of our business systems as a core measure of our success and this has enabled us to achieve maximum efficiency as well as optimise client satisfaction."

Network International is jointly owned by Emirates NBD, one of the largest banking groups in the UAE, and global investment firms Warburg Pincus and General Atlantic. The company acquired Emerging Markets Payments Holdings (EMPH) earlier this year giving it the largest market share for payment processing within the Middle East and Africa region and revenue five times larger than its closest competitor. The firm now serves over 200 banks and more than 70,000 merchants across 70 countries.

Bhairav Trivedi said: "Network International's world class quality processes are what allow us to achieve our two main focuses: staying committed to innovation and delivering exceptional service to our clients. We are incredibly happy to win the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award and our aim is to build on our success and remain at the forefront of the industry while maintaining best practice standards as we continue to grow."

Late last year, Network International won the prestigious 2015 Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award - Silver category - recognising the company's stellar performance and growth across business lines in recent years.

Since its launch in 1994, the Dubai Quality Award has been key in pushing the quality movement across the private and public sector of the city and is widely regarded as the most valuable framework for companies that strive to achieve an optimum quality strategy. Currently in its 22nd year, the Business Excellence Awards are part of the Department of Economic Development's efforts to establish quality and excellence as a catalyst for stronger business growth and further consolidate Dubai's status as a preferred destination for foreign investment.

About Network International:
Established in 1994, Network International LLC is the largest acquirer in the UAE, and a leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The company's service offering comprises a comprehensive range of payment products and services for both the Issuing and Acquiring segments of banks, financial institutions and retail merchants. This includes credit, debit and prepaid card processing, ATM management and monitoring, merchant acquiring and processing, fraud management, e-commerce services and mobile solutions for the payments industry, with the objective of enabling speedy, secure and convenient payment transactions for customers. In addition, the company offers several value-add products including data analytics, scoring and loyalty solutions. Network International has Operation centers in the UAE, Egypt and India, with its corporate head office in Dubai. The company recently acquired Emerging Markets Payments Holdings Limited (EMPH) and continues to invest in strategic partnerships that will increasingly see its influence spread across the region.

Network International is a Principal Member of Visa International and MasterCard International in the UAE and enjoys extension of its MasterCard License in other key countries. It is also a member of JCB and Union Pay card schemes, and it owns and manages the Diners Club International Franchise in the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. In 2013, the company launched a GCC based domestic scheme, Mercury, and partnered with Discover Financial Services (DFS) to allow global acceptance of Mercury cards on the Discover, Diners Club International and PULSE networks. Network International, a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) certified company, is also a major player in the international remittance industry and owns a 100 per cent stake in TimesofMoney Ltd., a leading global online remittance and digital payments company facilitating cross-border remittances and domestic payments in emerging economies.

For further information on Network International, please contact:
Tricia Kaul
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-4507600
Fax: 971-4-4358040
Email: tricia.kaul@bm.com

© Press Release 2016