Indian travellers can now use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to book tickets and experiences at At the Top, Burj Khalifa online, making the world's tallest building the first attraction in the UAE to accept UPI for e-commerce transactions. NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) announced the development on Wednesday, 29 July, in partnership with NEOPAY and Emaar Entertainment.

What the Integration Enables

Indian visitors can now pay for Burj Khalifa tickets through the attraction's official website using any UPI-enabled payment app — before they even board a flight to the UAE. The facility covers the full online booking journey, allowing travellers to plan and pay in a familiar digital environment from India.

This marks a significant extension of UPI's footprint in the Gulf. Since 2022, QR code-based UPI merchant payments have been available across NEOPAY's physical merchant network in the UAE. The new rollout now brings that acceptance into the e-commerce layer for the first time.

What the Companies Said

Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI International, said Indian travellers are increasingly seeking payment experiences that are 'simple, familiar and seamless' when they travel abroad. 'By enabling UPI acceptance for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa, we are making it easier for them to use a payment method they know and trust while planning their visit, even before they arrive in the UAE,' he said.

Vibhor Mundhada, CEO of NEOPAY, described the integration as a significant milestone in digital commerce between India and the UAE, noting that it makes NEOPAY the first company in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to enable UPI acceptance for e-commerce transactions.

An Emaar Entertainment spokesperson said the move would simplify the customer journey for Indian visitors, who reportedly constitute one of the attraction's largest international visitor segments.

Why This Matters for India-UAE Digital Ties

The development reflects a broader push to build a robust digital payments corridor between India and the UAE. India and the UAE have steadily deepened fintech cooperation, with UPI's cross-border rollout forming a central pillar of that agenda. Notably, this is not a standalone move — it builds on an existing partnership between NIPL and NEOPAY that has been operational since 2022.

For Indian travellers, who number among the UAE's largest tourist groups, the ability to use a trusted domestic payment rail for international pre-travel bookings reduces friction and currency conversion concerns at the point of purchase.

What Comes Next

With NEOPAY now the first GCC entity to enable UPI for e-commerce, the model could serve as a template for broader adoption across other UAE attractions and online retail platforms. NIPL has been expanding UPI acceptance across multiple countries, and this milestone could accelerate similar integrations across the Gulf region.