Dubai Duty Free Paves the Way for Cryptocurrency Adoption in Airport Retail

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has secured another major retail payment use case after Dubai Duty Free, one of the world's largest airport retailers, integrated Crypto.com Pay. This move makes Dubai Duty Free the first airport retailer in the Middle East to introduce regulated digital payments.

The integration allows eligible UAE residents to use 30 supported cryptocurrencies, including SHIB, XRP, Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Dogecoin, to make purchases at Dubai Duty Free's physical stores in Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC), as well as through its online store.

Notably, this development aligns with Dubai's broader D33 economic agenda, which aims to accelerate digital transformation across the emirate and transition 90% of transactions to cashless payment methods. The rollout also became possible after Crypto.com secured approval from the Central Bank of the UAE to provide stored-value payment services.