For over two decades, The Card & Payments Awards has been the definitive celebration of excellence across the UK and Irish card and payments industry—an annual occasion where innovation, leadership and performance are recognised at the highest level. Each year, more than 1,100 senior professionals from 300+ organisations gather alongside leading blue-chip sponsors for an evening that combines prestige, connection and industry-wide recognition.

The Awards were founded over 20 years ago by Michael Harty. Building on this legacy, 2025 marked an exciting new chapter with the launch of the Card & Payments Awards Middle East. Hosted in Dubai on 17 April 2025 at the Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, the inaugural event successfully brought together the region’s most influential players to celebrate best practice, breakthrough innovation and excellence across the dynamic payments ecosystem. It created a premium platform for meaningful networking, trusted industry recognition, and the partnerships that drive progress across financial services. In 2026, the Awards return to Dubai in even greater style.

The Card & Payments Awards Middle East 2026 will be hosted at the iconic Atlantis The Palm on 2 April, offering an unforgettable black-tie evening where the region’s leading banks, fintechs, processors, merchant acquirers and payment innovators come together to celebrate the achievements shaping the future of payments. The Awards welcome entries from across the payments landscape, including credit, debit, prepaid and charge card issuers, co-brands, merchant acquirers, payment processors, fintechs, retailers and other payments organisations delivering programmes or initiatives within the Middle East. With a broad range of categories reflecting the sector’s most essential disciplines, TCPA Middle East provides organisations with a powerful opportunity to showcase their success—and earn recognition as best-in-class on a stage that truly reflects the prestige of the industry.