RIYADH: Payments technology company Mastercard and travel website Musafir have joined hands to launch new payment products and solutions across the Middle East and North Africa region. The companies said in a press release that the deal will allow them to digitize end-to-end payment flows and offer new innovative payment products with attractive travel benefits to both consumers and corporates in the region. Sachin Gadoya, co-founder, and CEO of Musafir.com said, “Our partnership with Mastercard is a testament to our belief that travel is back and our commitment to providing both consumers and corporates with technology-led travel solutions.” The UAE-based online travel agency is buoyant by the recovery in the travel industry as it expects an estimated 115 million more passengers in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa to fly in 2022 compared to last year, citing an analysis done by the Mastercard Economics Institute. It further referred to the research to add that global leisure and business flight bookings have surpassed pre-pandemic levels with an estimated 1.5 billion more passengers predicted to fly in 2022 compared to 2021. “We are continuously investing to innovate across the travel value chain. We are excited to partner with Musafir to provide digital-first experiences to their consumers,” said Amnah Ajmal, executive vice president, market development, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa of Mastercard.