Mastercard is taking another step toward bridging traditional finance and Web3. Through an expanded partnership with Circle, the payments giant will enable acquirers and merchants across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) to settle transactions in USDC and EURC, marking a major move toward integrating stablecoins into mainstream commerce.

Here, Prakriti Singh, EVP, Core Payments, EEMEA, Mastercard outlines how the initiative could reshape cross-border payments, remittances, and digital trade while positioning the company at the forefront of the shift to tokenised money.

What does this expanded partnership with Circle mean for Mastercard in EEMEA, and how will it directly benefit merchants and acquirers across the region?

We are actively working to integrate stablecoins, digital currencies designed to maintain a steady value, into the financial mainstream. We’d like to ensure they meet the same standards of convenience, security and dependability as traditional payments. Our goal is to invest in the infrastructure, governance and partnerships needed to support the evolution from fiat to tokenized and programmable money.

Our expanded collaboration with Circle means that for the first time, merchants and acquirers in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) can leverage stablecoins across our global payments network and benefit from our trusted technology, reach and scale. This move will empower acquiring institutions to get their settlement in USDC or EURC – fully reserved stablecoins issued by regulated affiliates of Circle – which they can then use to settle with merchants.

This initiative highlights our role as a bridge between traditional finance and Web3, paving the way for a new era of efficient, trusted and inclusive digital trade across emerging markets.

How do stablecoins like USDC and EURC change the dynamics of settlement compared with traditional payment rails?

Stablecoins, like USDC and EURC, have the potential to complement and enhance existing payment infrastructures. Stablecoins are poised to play a growing role in the evolving cross-border payments landscape, helping people and businesses move financial value faster and with less friction. Operating on public, permissionless blockchains that function continuously, stablecoins provide near-real-time settlement capabilities globally, typically at minimal transaction costs.

In addition to powering more efficient financial transactions, stablecoins and their underlying blockchain technology could drive momentum toward innovations like faster settlement cycles for certain asset classes.

Our continued support of USDC, EURC, USDP, USDG, FIUSD and PYUSD lends itself to more integration as the ecosystem evolves.

By maintaining a multi-coin approach, we aim to spearhead the next wave of digital currency innovation while aligning with market needs and regulatory standards.

Remittances remain a critical payment flow in EEMEA — do you see stablecoin settlements helping reduce costs and increase speed in these high-volume corridors?

Remittances are one of the fundamental components of economic survival and stability. Some of the areas where we believe stablecoin culd add value is in reducing time and costs for cross-border remittances, enabling near-instant payouts for families, transforming how content creators and gig workers get paid, and powering programmable B2B transactions.

Traditionally, financial institutions pre-fund their cross-border payments service providers with fiat using a bank account. Pre-funding with stablecoins means that an FI can also use stablecoin to meet their obligation with their cross-border payment service providers. This can result in liquidity benefits.

Stablecoin networks operate continuously. We already enable this kind of settlement speed in consumer payments but this is not true in B2B more broadly. That’s why, stablecoins are increasingly being recognised for their potential to streamline business-to-business (B2B) transactions with their real time nature but also programmability.

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are gaining traction globally. How do you view their role alongside stablecoins and e-money in transforming the payments ecosystem?

While the momentum for CBDCs has evolved, their development remains an important area of exploration for central banks worldwide. We are closely monitoring this space, alongside the growing adoption of stablecoins and e-money, as part of our broader commitment to payments innovation and digital transformation.

We are committed to enabling on our network that reaches hundreds of banks and millions of merchants with the currencies of choice for consumers within the framework of local regulations.

Our blockchain and digital assets experts are exploring the uses of the latest technology, its implementation and regulations, and will continue to push to be at the forefront of tech innovation.

Looking ahead, what adoption trends do you expect to define the next five years of digital payments in EEMEA, and how is Mastercard positioning itself to lead in that shift?

Businesses and consumers increasingly demand faster, simpler and more secure ways to transact, making innovation and trust critical in driving adoption. Over the next few years, we see an increase in tokenisation, deepening of adoption of AI in securing commerce, growth in agent assisted commerce and expansion of use cases for stablecoin particularly in cross-border and B2B.

We can also see that there could potentially be multiple digital assets across multiple chains and this is where we can play a role in delivering interoperability and bringing the bridge between centralized finance and digital assets world.

We’re committed to building the infrastructure and partnerships necessary to integrate secure and compliant digital assets into the global financial ecosystem. Through our Mastercard multi-token network (MTN), we’re creating a global framework to harness the potential of stablecoins, ensuring they are governed and trusted for everyday use.

Technologies are merging faster than ever, refining capabilities, generating new use cases and even creating new business models. In this dynamic landscape, we at Mastercard remain focused on stability, compliance and consumer protection.

Our role is to partner across the ecosystem, helping banks, fintech companies, regulators and businesses harness the potential of tokenisation and blockchain to unlock new opportunities.

The Dubai Airshow opens on November 17, with organisers expecting the largest edition in its history as global aerospace and defence companies gather to showcase new technologies and outline industry priorities.

The five-day event at Dubai World Central features more than 1,500 exhibitors, including 440 newcomers, and is expected to draw 148,000 trade visitors and 490 military and civil delegations from 115 countries, organisers said.

The 19th edition, which concludes on November 21, includes 21 national pavilions, 98 chalets and 8,000 square metres of additional exhibition space, alongside 120 startups and 50 investors.

More than 200 aircraft will be on display across flying and static areas, the biggest line-up to date.

Models include Joby Aviation’s eVTOL, General Atomics’ CCA, the Bristell B23 915 IFR, and newcomers COMAC C919 and C929.

The airshow has grown into a major global venue for investment discussions and new technology demonstrations, reflecting Dubai’s ongoing ambitions in aviation, defence, and space.

UAE expands space presence at Dubai Airshow

This year’s edition will host the largest Space Pavilion to date, held with the UAE Space Agency.

The pavilion will bring together international space agencies, companies, startups, investors and academic institutions, while a two-day conference will feature over 50 speakers discussing responsible space activity, new technologies and future exploration missions.

“Dubai Airshow represents a leading global platform to showcase the remarkable progress the UAE has achieved in the space sector,” said Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and chairman of the UAE Space Agency. He said the expansion reflects the UAE’s efforts to build “a comprehensive and sustainable space economy”.

Major General Mubarak Saeed bin Ghafan Al Jabri, ED of the Military Committee, said the airshow remains a venue for showcasing the UAE’s defence-sector investments and international partnerships. Several aerobatic teams will perform during the show.

Expanded conference programme

This year’s conference agenda will be the largest yet, featuring more than 450 speakers across four stages and 12 content tracks.

New themes include MRO, airport and airline keynotes hosted by Dubai Airports, advanced air mobility, workforce development, passenger experience, cybersecurity and airport technology.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said the keynote track will bring together senior aviation leaders to discuss issues such as air traffic growth, digital transformation and sustainability.

He said the Sustainability Showcase, organised with dnata, flydubai and other partners, will feature a “world-first” fully sustainable aircraft turnaround.

First eVTOL flying display

Advanced Air Mobility will have an expanded presence, including the first eVTOL aircraft in the Dubai Airshow flying display, with Joby Aviation’s model set to perform. “This milestone reflects Dubai’s ambition to lead in advanced air mobility and progressive regulatory frameworks,” said Mohammed Abdulla Lengawi, director general of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

Startups and youth focus

A new Inspiration Zone will host founders and early-stage companies, while the NextGen Leaders programme will highlight university research. Vista will return as the dedicated startup hub.

Sustainability will remain a central theme, with Sustainable Aviation Fuel for participating aircraft, electric and propane-powered ground operations in partnership with Jetex, and exhibition halls using renewable electricity.

The Better Stands Programme will promote reusable booth designs, while hydration stations and LEED-certified accommodation support broader environmental goals.

Night sessions and public displays

For the first time, the airshow will extend into evening hours with night-time networking events, including “Party on the Runway” at Skydive Dubai and “Airshow After Dark” with live entertainment and a drone show.

The public SkyView arena will host flying displays and family activities throughout the week, featuring aerobatic teams, meet-the-pilot sessions, food trucks and a new VIP viewing area.

Eighty six per cent of Middle Eastern companies say they already have a reinvention strategy in place and 82 per cent have accelerated their efforts over the past year, but only 9 per cent are progressing at scale, according to a new Accenture report.

The study, Building tomorrow’s economies: How generative AI will reinvent business in the Middle East, examines how organisations across the region are responding to the impact of generative AI and the broader shift toward digital competitiveness.

Accenture found that 76 per cent of business leaders believe generative AI could raise output per worker by more than 10 per cent within three years.

In Saudi Arabia, 38 per cent of working hours are considered in scope for automation or augmentation.

The report classifies companies into three groups: “Reinventors”, representing 9 per cent of organisations with a comprehensive strategy; “Transformers”, 77 per cent that have begun their reinvention journey, slightly below the global average of 81 per cent; and “Optimisers”, 14 per cent that have yet to start, above the global average of 10 per cent.

Among other findings, 81 per cent of Middle East executives expect to overhaul IT within three years, while 48 per cent say technical debt is hurting competitiveness and 44 per cent say it is hindering reinvention.

More than half, 52 per cent, cite sustainability as a key driver.

The report notes that hyperscalers such as Google, Microsoft and AWS have signed major agreements in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, accelerating regional adoption of AI infrastructure.

It highlights several developments this year, including HUMAIN, a Public Investment Fund-backed company that will manage Saudi Arabia’s AI services, data centres, cloud capabilities and Arabic LLM, and the UAE’s plan for a joint US-UAE AI campus spanning more than 10 miles in Abu Dhabi, described as the world’s largest effort of its kind.

Highlights of the Accenture report

Accenture reported a clear divide in generative AI expectations: 66 per cent of Reinventors see the technology as a source of revenue growth, compared with 34 per cent prioritising cost efficiencies.

Transformers are evenly split, while 76 per cent of Optimisers view generative AI mainly as a cost-cutting tool.

Reinventors, the report says, have achieved a 15 percentage-point premium in revenue growth and a six-point premium in profit growth since 2019. They are twice as likely as Transformers to track returns on generative AI investments and adjust priorities and 1.2 times more likely to consider significant business-model changes.

The report outlines five imperatives for reinvention with generative AI: leading with value, securing an AI-enabled digital core, reinventing talent and work models, closing the gap on responsible AI and pursuing continuous reinvention.

“The Middle East isn’t short on ambition or AI infrastructure, but too few organisations, less than 9 per cent in fact, are turning that into enterprise-wide reinvention,” said Ramez T Shehadi, Accenture’s Middle East and Africa strategy and consulting lead and global public sector strategy lead. “The real divide now isn’t between nations, it’s between institutions that scale fast and those that simply think about it.”

In a world obsessed with constant output, Dr Elie Abirached, the well-known longevity and healthy ageing strategist, Harvard Alum and creator of Limitless Human, argues that the secret to long-term performance isn’t harder work — it’s smarter recovery. His new book, also titled Limitless Human, translates elite performance principles for a broader audience, challenges conventional narratives around health, wellbeing, and executive success.

From sleep and nutrition to cognitive optimisation and periodised stress, Dr Abirached outlines how leaders and athletes alike can sustain peak function over time, proving that longevity isn’t just about adding years, but preserving quality, clarity, and resilience at every stage of life.

Here, he shares his insights on the all the key angles related to longevity, performance and recovery.

Your new book translates the principles of performance and longevity to a broader audience. What is the single most overlooked or misunderstood pillar of true longevity that you had to highlight in the book, and how does your core philosophy challenge the conventional, often simplified, narrative of health and wellbeing?

The most overlooked pillar of longevity is recovery. In a world obsessed with constant output, people forget that adaptation only happens in recovery. My book reframes longevity as the ability to sustain peak function across time, not just add years.

In the Middle East especially, where comfort has become the cultural default, I highlight the biological importance of controlled stress (heat, cold, fasting, breathwork, movement) to trigger hormesis.

My core philosophy is built around the SDRT method: ‘Strain, Defend, Recover, Thrive’. Longevity is not a supplement or a protocol. It is the intelligent alternation between stress and repair that allows the body and mind to remain adaptable.

High-achieving leaders often see sleep and recovery as a trade-off for productivity. What is the non-negotiable minimum sleep strategy you teach C-suite executives to optimise cognitive function and memory consolidation, and how do you convince them that rest is a performance accelerator, not an expense?

I tell executives that sleep is the single most powerful natural performance enhancer available today. The non-negotiable strategy is to prioritise 90-minute sleep cycles, with a minimum of five full cycles per night. Deep sleep in the early part of the night drives physical repair and hormonal balance, while REM sleep later consolidates memory and emotional regulation.

To shift their mindset, I show them data – from continuous glucose monitoring to HRV – that demonstrates how poor sleep directly lowers decision-making quality and emotional control. Once they see that rest improves revenue-driving performance metrics, they start treating it as an investment rather than downtime.

For the high-pressure environments your clients operate in, what is your most critical advice on nutritional strategy for maintaining sustained energy, focus, and resilience? Can you discuss a specific dietary element or micronutrient you find is universally lacking, or too high, among leaders and why it impairs their performance?

The most critical advice I give is to eat for stability, not stimulation. Most executives fuel themselves for short-term alertness – caffeine spikes, refined carbs, energy drinks – then crash mid-day. I teach them to stabilise glucose through protein-dominant, low-glycaemic meals supported by magnesium, omega-3s, and trace minerals.

In the GCC, I consistently see low magnesium and omega-3 levels, paired with excess refined carbohydrate intake. This combination promotes inflammation, poor sleep, and mental fatigue. Nutrition should modulate energy, not chase it.

The field of nootropics is booming. How do you help leaders navigate this complex space, and what is your current stance on the most evidence-based pharmacological or natural cognitive enhancer that offers a meaningful, sustainable boost to decision-making or stress management without compromising long-term health?

The first rule I teach is that a nootropic cannot fix a poor lifestyle. I categorise cognitive enhancers into three layers: foundational (sleep, movement, hydration), natural (adaptogens like ashwagandha, rhodiola, L-theanine), and clinical (peptides, NAD+, low-dose nootropics under medical guidance).

Among the safest and most evidence-based enhancers is L-theanine paired with caffeine, which sharpens focus without overstimulation. I also use medical-grade compounds such as Semax and Selank, which improve neuroplasticity and stress resilience. The goal is sustainability – sharper cognition today without compromising tomorrow’s brain health.

You work with both executives and elite athletes. From a longevity and anti-aging perspective, what is the key physiological or mental distinction between athletes who maintain elite output into their late 30s and 40s and those who hit a permanent performance ceiling? How do you apply this “athlete’s longevity secret” to the demands of the boardroom?

The athletes who stay elite longer understand adaptation management. They know when to push and when to recover. They use data – HRV, VO2max, sleep quality – to fine-tune intensity. The others burn out because they chase constant performance without recovery. I teach executives the same principle: the brain is another “muscle”.

The key to longevity in leadership is cyclic intensity, not chronic exertion. Schedule stress. Schedule recovery. Just like athletes, leaders must periodise their weeks for performance and restoration.

Personal wellbeing is one thing, but how does the optimisation of an executive’s health state directly translate into the success and measurable ROI of an entire organisation? What is the single most difficult habit or mindset shift you consistently encounter when translating your book’s principles into non-negotiable, daily routines for your high-achieving clients?

When leaders optimise their biology, organisations optimise their culture. Improved metabolic health, sleep, and emotional resilience lead to better strategic thinking, empathy, and energy regulation – qualities that scale down through teams. The ROI is measurable in productivity, retention, and healthcare costs.

The most difficult shift I see is breaking the belief that exhaustion equals achievement. Longevity-driven performance requires restraint, not overextension. Once executives internalise that, they lead with clarity and create sustainable success cultures rather than burnout cycles.

The Middle East is entering a defining moment in its economic history. By 2030, an estimated $1tn in GCC-controlled wealth will be passed from one generation to the next. Yet, this transition is not only about transferring capital. It represents a shift in how families across the region think about prosperity, purpose, and legacy.

In my work with families across the Gulf, I have seen how this generational shift is reshaping the very meaning of wealth. The next generation is proud of what their parents and grandparents built, but they also want to take that foundation further. While earlier generations often focused on preserving what they had created, today’s successors are looking to grow, diversify, and give back. They see wealth as a platform for progress and value creation, not just protection.

This new mindset is changing the way family enterprises and family offices operate. Many younger family members are stepping into leadership roles, while others are launching ventures of their own. Our joint survey with the Tharawat Family Business Forum found that while nearly 60 per cent of next-generation members plan to join their family enterprises, two-thirds aim to start ventures of their own, often within the broader context of their family business. The result is a delicate but healthy balance between continuity and innovation.

Families are moving away from rigid hierarchies and towards structures that value merit, communication, and shared decision-making. These changes are not simply administrative; they are cultural, redefining what collaboration means within multigenerational families.

Wealth planning extends far beyond technical solutions

As these dynamics evolve, so does the role of the wealth planner. Wealth planning today extends far beyond technical solutions. Setting up trusts, foundations, and holding structures remains important, but they must now align closely with a family’s long-term vision and values. My role often involves helping families translate their beliefs and priorities into practical governance frameworks.

When families understand both the structure and the spirit behind their plans, they build trust that lasts well beyond a single generation.

Faith and innovation also play a growing part in this transformation. Many families are exploring Shariah-compliant structures that integrate regional traditions with global best practices. The demand for these solutions continues to grow, offering families the confidence that their wealth is managed in a way that reflects both faith and foresight.

At the same time, technology has become a central tool in modern wealth management. Digital platforms allow families to monitor assets, streamline reporting, and participate more actively in governance, encouraging transparency and accountability at every level.

Equally important is the way families are redefining their role in society. Philanthropy has always been a core part of life in the Middle East, but it is becoming increasingly strategic. The younger generation focuses less on charity for its own sake and more on measurable, long-term impact.

Many families are aligning their giving with national goals such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, investing in areas like education, sustainability, and community development. This shift reflects a broader understanding of wealth as a responsibility to create lasting value beyond financial success.

At LGT, we relate deeply to this approach having managed wealth across 26 generations. That experience has taught us that continuity depends not just on financial structures, but on shared values, open communication, and a long-term perspective.

The coming decade will be one of profound change. Families across the Middle East are not only preparing for a transfer of wealth, but for a redefinition of what it means to leave a legacy. Success will depend on how effectively today’s leaders engage the next generation, share their vision, and encourage stewardship built on trust and understanding.

In the end, wealth is not only measured in what is passed down, but in how it is understood. When families take the time to communicate their values, they give future generations more than prosperity, they give them purpose.

The writer is a senior wealth planner at LGT Middle East.