UAE First In-Store Dirham Stablecoin Pilot Goes Live at Marks and Spencer and LuLu

Shoppers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi can now pay for groceries and clothing with a dirham-backed stablecoin at physical checkout counters, as DDSC and Network International launched the United Arab Emirates’ first in-store stablecoin payment pilot at selected Marks & Spencer and LuLu Hypermarket locations.

The pilot went live at the Marks & Spencer branch in Al-Futtaim’s Dubai Festival City and at LuLu Hypermarket in Khalidiyah Mall, Abu Dhabi, according to a Sept. 9 announcement shared with crypto.news. Customers with a supported wallet can pay using DDSC, a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the UAE dirham and licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE.

## Stablecoin payments through existing terminals

The pilot’s most consequential design choice is that it runs on Network International’s existing point-of-sale infrastructure. Merchants do not need to install separate checkout systems or new hardware to accept the stablecoin.

When a customer chooses DDSC at checkout, the payment terminal generates a QR code that the customer scans with a supported wallet. Network’s acceptance infrastructure then confirms the completed transaction to the merchant, closing the loop within the normal payment flow.

Settlement is flexible by design. Participating merchants can receive DDSC directly into a supported wallet, or they can have transactions settled in UAE dirhams under their agreed arrangements with Network International. That option matters for retailers that want to offer modern payment rails without taking custody of digital assets or managing stablecoin treasury operations.

Murat Cagri Suzer, group CEO of Network International, said the partnership gives merchants more options for accepting and settling payments. “Through our partnership with DDSC, Network International merchants will be able to accept payments in DDSC and have the flexibility to settle in stablecoin,” Suzer said.

Network International plans to expand DDSC acceptance across its UAE merchant network once testing is completed. The company works with more than 240,000 merchants and over 250 financial institutions across more than 50 countries, giving the pilot a potentially large runway if the initial locations perform well.

## From launch to the checkout counter

DDSC launched on ADI Chain in February after receiving approval and licensing from the Central Bank of the UAE under its Payment Token Services Regulation. The stablecoin was developed through a collaboration between International Holding Company, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Sirius International Holding, with the central bank requiring a segregated reserve of assets backing the token.

First Abu Dhabi Bank provides banking support for the project, while ADI Chain supplies the blockchain settlement layer. ADI Chain launched its mainnet in December 2025 as an institutional Layer 2 network designed for stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, and its native ADI token is used for gas and smart contract execution across the network.

Activity on the network has already extended beyond payments. In August, Shipfinex tapped ADI Chain for a planned tokenization program covering roughly 500 million U.S. dollars worth of commercial vessels, using special-purpose vehicles for individual ships with potential dirham-denominated stablecoin components.

The retail pilot pushes DDSC from blockchain settlement infrastructure into physical commerce. LuLu Retail CEO Saifee Rupawala noted the retailer was among the first in the UAE to enable the payment option, while Al-Futtaim Group Director of Financial Services Eric Shehadeh said the group handles tens of millions of customer payments each year across more than 200 brands. Ajay Hans Raj Bhatia, CEO of Sirius International Holding, described the collaboration as a step toward using regulated digital assets in routine transactions.

## A crowded field of regulated UAE stablecoins

DDSC is entering retail testing as other regulated stablecoin systems gain access to payment channels across the country. In May, AE Coin and USD Universal introduced a regulated conversion rail connecting the dirham-backed AE Coin with USDU, a U.S. dollar-backed payment token, supported by Al Maryah Community Bank for institutional settlement and cross-border payments.

Retail-facing crypto payments have also reached the airline industry. Emirates introduced cryptocurrency payments for flights in July through Crypto.com Pay, letting eligible UAE residents pay for dirham-priced bookings through the airline’s website and app. Emirates continues to price and settle those bookings in dirhams, and Crypto.com’s local entity holds a Stored Value Facilities license from the central bank.

That license has separately been used for an arrangement covering Dubai government payments, where settlement can take place in dirhams or approved dirham-backed stablecoins — a clear signal that regulators view dirham-backed tokens as part of the official payment landscape rather than a parallel system to be contained.

For now, Network International has not provided a timetable for expanding the DDSC pilot beyond the initial locations. But with a central bank license behind the token, a major acquirer behind the terminals, and two of the region’s most recognizable retailers behind the counters, the UAE has moved one step closer to stablecoins becoming an ordinary way to pay at the till.