Dubai First Becomes First Middle East Issuer to Deploy Mastercard Token Connect

Dubai First has become the first financial institution in the Middle East to deploy Mastercard Token Connect Services, enabling its mobile app customers to push tokenised card credentials directly into Click to Pay and digital wallets.

The integration allows Dubai First cardholders in the UAE to provision their cards into supported digital wallets without the manual entry of card details, significantly reducing friction in the digital payment experience. Token Connect works by replacing sensitive card numbers with unique digital tokens, adding a layer of security to every transaction.

For Dubai First, the deployment signals a broader commitment to digital-first payments infrastructure. The UAE's credit card market has seen accelerating competition as issuers race to offer seamless digital experiences, and tokenisation has emerged as a critical enabler of that shift.

Mastercard's Token Connect platform has been gaining traction globally, but Dubai First's adoption marks its first live deployment in the Middle East. The service is designed to work across multiple wallet providers, giving issuers a single integration point rather than requiring separate connections to each wallet ecosystem.

The move positions Dubai First at the forefront of tokenisation adoption in the Gulf region, where digital wallet penetration continues to climb as consumers and merchants increasingly favour contactless and mobile payment methods.