Mastercard redesigns its Dubai Experience Centre as it marks 40 years in the UAE.
Mastercard has redesigned its Experience Centre in Dubai, adding a new visitor journey, immersive technology demonstrations and collaboration spaces, as the company marks 40 years in the UAE.
The centre sits in Mastercard's regional headquarters in Dubai Internet City and serves customers and partners across 81 markets in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It is built for issuing banks, merchants, fintechs, founders, government stakeholders and regulators, and hosts client sessions, executive briefings, regional events, Mastercard Academy programmes and workshops with the company's product teams.
The new journey runs through three connected zones. Discovery is for customer conversations, from short executive briefings to full-day working sessions. Experience uses immersive demonstrations so customers can judge how Mastercard's technology could apply to their business. Engagement holds rooms for workshops and building solutions together. Digital installations tell the company's story along the way, and visitors can see AI use cases from Mastercard's Centre for AI and Advanced Technology in Dubai. The centre, first opened in 2018, also takes university delegations and supports some capstone research projects, with student internships planned from 2027.
Mark Elliott, Division President for East Arabia, said Mastercard has grown alongside the UAE over four decades and that the centre brings its technology closer to the people shaping the future of commerce. Mastercard has not shared the cost of the redesign or visitor numbers.
For B2B marketers in the Gulf, it is a reminder that the briefing room is a brand channel: Mastercard is putting the same staged, immersive treatment used in consumer activations into the space where banks and governments decide what to buy.
Why it matters
Mastercard is treating its client briefing space as a brand experience, a model for B2B marketers selling to Gulf banks, fintechs and government.
Related trends.
KFC opens its first Muse restaurant in Dubai as it moves towards experience-led dining
KFC has opened the first restaurant in its new Muse format at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) in Dubai, a concept built around design, technology and customer interaction. The brand says Seoul will get the second Muse site by the end of 2026.
Why it mattersA global fast-food chain picked Dubai to pilot its flagship format, treating the restaurant itself as a channel for content, loyalty rewards and new menu occasions.
Spine wins hasenkamp Middle East account after pitch of over six months
Spine Marketing Consultancy has won the communications, content, social media and strategic marketing account for hasenkamp Middle East, Campaign Middle East reported on 2 November. The pitch ran for more than six months and included several multinational agencies.
Why it mattersA specialist agency beating networks for a culture-sector account suggests the Gulf's museum and heritage build-out could create new B2B marketing briefs.
7-Eleven sells its Korean menu through a seven-part micro K-drama
7-Eleven is promoting its new Flavors of Korea menu with A Convenient Love, a short vertical K-drama series on Instagram and TikTok. Episodes start on 2 November and run until 23 November, each tied to a discount on one dish.
Why it mattersIt's a simple model for branded microdramas: each episode sells one product with one limited-time offer, so the series can be judged on redemptions rather than views alone.
