Visa appoints Mario Makary as UAE country manager

Visa has appointed Mario Makary as Vice President and Country Manager for the United Arab Emirates, where he will lead the company’s market strategy, business development and engagement with clients, partners, regulators and other stakeholders.

Based in Dubai, Makary will oversee Visa’s business in the UAE as the company continues to invest in the country’s digital payments ecosystem and support the growth of secure, seamless and inclusive commerce.

Makary brings more than 12 years of experience at Visa across Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and the wider Levant, alongside earlier experience in banking and payments. Before taking up his new role, he served as Vice President for the Levant, leading Visa’s business and client engagement across the subregion.

In his new position, Makary will focus on strengthening strategic client relationships, expanding digital payment acceptance, enabling new ways to pay and be paid, and supporting businesses, consumers and communities through Visa’s global network, products, solutions and advisory capabilities.

Fadi Moukaddem, Group Country Manager for the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar at Visa, said the appointment reflected the company’s internal talent pipeline and its focus on supporting growth in the UAE.

“The UAE is one of the world’s most dynamic and forward-looking markets, with a clear ambition to shape the future of commerce and digital innovation. Mario brings deep industry knowledge, a strong understanding of our clients and an established track record within Visa,” Moukaddem said.

“His appointment reflects the strength of our internal talent pipeline and our continued commitment to supporting clients and partners as they pursue growth and innovation in the UAE. I look forward to working closely with Mario as we build on Visa’s strong foundation in the UAE and deliver the next chapter of our strategy in the market.”

The appointment comes as Visa continues to expand its work across the UAE payments ecosystem, including digital payments, money movement solutions, payment acceptance and value-added services.

Makary said the UAE’s focus on innovation and digitalisation would create opportunities to further develop the payments ecosystem.

“I am honored to take on this role and continue building on Visa's strong foundation in the UAE. This is a market defined by ambition, innovation and a strong ability to turn new ideas into meaningful experiences for consumers and businesses,” he said.

“I look forward to working with our talented team, clients and partners to support the continued evolution of the UAE's payments ecosystem, expand access to secure and seamless ways to pay and be paid, and help businesses and consumers thrive in an increasingly digital economy.”