Qashio, the UAE’s leading spend management platform, partnered with Visa to host an exclusive event bringing together the UAE’s top travel decision-makers for a dynamic exchange of insights and industry trends. The event welcomed senior executives from across the regional travel ecosystem, including online travel agencies, destination management companies, and leading luxury hospitality brands.
Guests heard keynote speeches from Brendan Noonan, former senior executive at Emirates and Qatar Airways, who emphasised the urgent need for operational agility and secure financial flows in aviation. Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Visa’s SVP and Group Country Manager for GCC, spoke about Visa’s role in building frictionless, secure digital payment infrastructure alongside partners such as Qashio.
A lively panel discussion on “Technology’s role in the evolution of the travel industry” took place, with esteemed guest speakers included Aidan Dempsey, General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton RAK, Claudia Esposito, Chief Commercial Officer of Qashio, and Ganes RK, Head of Visa Commercial Solutions for GCC, who explored how digital payments, automation, and customer-centric innovations are reshaping travel operations and experiences across the country.
Addressing the event’s impact, Armin Moradi, CEO of Qashio, said: “The UAE’s travel sector is evolving rapidly alongside the nation’s wider digital transformation, and such events show just how important it is to rethink spend management through a modern, automated lens. Businesses today need agile, transparent financial systems that support their growth and resilience. Our partnership with Visa, whose international reputation for secure, scalable payment infrastructure lends strong validation to our innovations, is helping the industry embrace the future with confidence. We are proud to contribute to the UAE’s broader vision of a cashless, technology-driven economy, while empowering companies to operate more efficiently and stay ahead in a highly competitive landscape.”
Salima Gutieva, Visa’s VP and Country Manager for UAE, added: “Our collaboration with Qashio reflects Visa’s commitment to supporting innovation in the UAE’s travel and tourism sector. By combining our global payment network and solutions with Qashio’s tailored fintech solutions, we are helping travel businesses operate more efficiently and scale with confidence. Events like these play an important role in bringing industry leaders together to exchange ideas, explore emerging challenges, and collaborate on building the payment technologies that will define the future of travel. It was inspiring to see so much momentum from key players who are driving the sector’s next wave of digital transformation.”
The event underscores the ongoing strategic partnership between Qashio and Visa. Earlier, the companies announced the launch of the Visa Commercial Choice Travel program in the region to support travel companies across the UAE, MENA, Europe, and the UK with seamless multi-currency payment solutions integrated into global travel booking systems.
Together, Qashio and Visa are setting a new standard for secure, automated, and scalable travel payments across the region and beyond.