American Express Rolls Out Big Changes for UAE Cardholders
DUBAI — American Express cardholders in the UAE will now be able to use their cards at more than 85,000 additional locations across the country, following a new partnership with payments processor Network International.
The initiative expands acceptance of American Express cards across in‑store and online merchants, with a particular focus on small and medium‑sized businesses connected to Network International’s payments infrastructure. The move gives local and international cardholders more places to pay for everyday purchases, while helping Network’s SME merchants accept American Express through the same onboarding and settlement process used for other payment methods.
“Our Card Members expect to use their American Express Cards wherever life takes them,” said Mazin Khoury, Chief Executive Officer at American Express Middle East. “This agreement with Network is an important step in enabling our Card Members to now use their Cards at over 85,000 new locations across the UAE, making American Express acceptance more accessible for everyday spend.”
For merchants, the partnership aims to make it easier to accept payments from American Express cardholders without needing separate systems or additional reconciliation processes. Network’s merchants will be able to add American Express as a payment option while receiving a single consolidated statement, one settlement process, and a dedicated servicing contact.
Murat Cagri Suzer, Group Chief Executive Officer at Network, said: “We are proud to launch another first through this collaboration with American Express Middle East. Together, we will bring UAE merchants a seamless and convenient payments proposition, opening the door to a broader, high‑value customer base.”
American Express said more than 170 million merchant locations globally accepted its payments as of December 2025, with the number of Amex‑accepting locations increasing fivefold since 2017. The UAE partnership is expected to add further acceptance points across retail, hospitality, food and beverage, services, and e‑commerce.
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