Visa appoints Emirates NBD as official National Net Settlement Service Agent in UAE

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 30th Apr, 2026) Visa, a world leader in digital payments, has appointed Emirates NBD as its official National Net Settlement Service (NNSS) Agent in the UAE, allowing Visa’s domestic card transactions to be settled by Emirates NBD locally in UAE Dirhams (AED) in lieu of international settlement.

The collaboration enhances the UAE’s domestic settlement capabilities and equips visa clients with greater flexibility to automate and manage their local settlement obligations.

A Visa NNSS Settlement Agent (typically a licensed bank or financial institution) facilitates local settlement for participating Visa clients by managing fund transfers for domestic Visa transactions in accordance with Visa’s network standards.

As Visa’s NNSS Agent in the UAE, Emirates NBD will streamline domestic settlements in AED, supporting enhancements to the settlement processes.

Salima Gutieva, Visa’s VP and Country Manager for the UAE, and Anith Daniel, Group Head of Transaction Banking Services at Emirates NBD, signed the NNSS agreement at Emirates NBD headquarters in Dubai.

“We are committed to expanding the growth of digital payments in the UAE, and are delighted to partner with Emirates NBD to continue facilitating local Currency settlements among our clients for Visa domestic transactions," said Fadi Moukaddem, Visa’s SVP and Group Country Manager for UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar.

Ahmed Al Qassim, Group Head of Wholesale Banking at Emirates NBD, said, “This partnership will streamline domestic settlement processes and bolster the nation’s digital payments infrastructure, supporting the UAE government’s ambitions for a more cashless economy."

This appointment, he said, reflects Visa’s confidence in the bank's financial service capabilities.

The system enables faster local settlement, helping to reduce processing times and payment delays, and enhances reliability and resilience, as local processing reduces reliance on international networks for domestic transactions, supporting continuity and stability, in addition to contributing to cost efficiencies, as reduced international processing can lower certain fees, creating opportunities for more cost-effective operations, and offering greater flexibility for clients.