Ahmed Abdel-Karim, Executive Vice President of Integrated Marketing and Communications, EEMEA at Mastercard, makes the case for a passion-led brand strategy that converts emotional connection into measurable commercial growth.
Consumers aren’t just buying; they’re expecting experiences. How has Mastercard rethought the way people relate to money and brands today?
At Mastercard, we recognize that modern currency isn’t just financial – it’s experiential. Our proprietary research has revealed a powerful paradigm shift: people are increasingly prioritizing connection and spending time and money on what genuinely fulfils them – experiences with people who matter the most. Nearly 75% of our cardholders say they feel their best when pursuing their passions, including culinary exploration, artistic endeavors, and cultural immersion.
That insight has shaped our passion-led approach to marketing. We’ve identified 10 universal passion points that matter most to people across geographies and generations, including sports, entertainment, travel, food, and culture. These are passions people willingly invest time, money, and emotion in because they are deeply personal and enduring.
For more than 25 years, we’ve brought this philosophy to life through our iconic Priceless platform, connecting people to unforgettable experiences — from behind-the-scenes access at major sporting events to one-of-a-kind gastronomic moments. These experiences aren’t just for cardholders; they’re shared with friends and family, helping people make the most of every moment while building a deeper emotional connection with our brand. Last year, we strengthened our value proposition with the launch of The Mastercard Collection, a new suite of enhanced global dining, entertainment, and travel benefits that work seamlessly with people’s lifestyles – at home or on the go. The offering has been specially curated for cardholders of the World, World Elite, and the Mastercard World Legend – our most premium credit card tier yet.
How is Mastercard partnering beyond banks to make loyalty and rewards more meaningful for consumers, and which marketing approaches are delivering the strongest engagement?
Today’s connected consumers want seamless loyalty experiences that fit into their lifestyles and deliver meaningful value. At Mastercard, we believe it takes more than points and rewards to build long-term loyalty. We are a global leader in this space, managing more than 1,200 loyalty programs with 13.5 billion transactions worldwide. Our end-to-end loyalty solutions help organizations foster lasting connections through our technology platforms, data capabilities, marketing services, and subject matter expertise.
At Mastercard, we analyze spending patterns to develop data-driven strategies that help brands present the most suitable reward opportunities at the right moment. For example, a person who frequently dines out might receive a notification for a bonus points offer at a new restaurant in their city, making the marketing feel like a helpful suggestion rather than an advertisement. On the contrary, someone who doesn’t have their own vehicle will not receive any offers on cars unless he starts spending in this segment.
As consumers get increasingly tech-savvy, we are also facing rising expectations for seamless redemption of loyalty points. In this context, we are using our advanced technology infrastructure to help our customers create real-time, digital-first redemption experiences that remove the friction associated with traditional rewards programs, which often require logging into separate portals and navigating complex processes.
We work with organizations across diverse industries, including retail, finance, fintech, telecom, airlines, hospitality, and consumer packaged goods. For all our customers in the non-financial sector, we develop detailed, tailor-made offerings on co-brands for consumers to enjoy benefits. Last December, we joined forces with Omantel to transform its Makasib loyalty program into a strategic growth platform. The revamped scheme will offer customers a unified rewards mechanism across multiple brands and introduce new AI-powered experiences. In the retail sector, we are working with Alshaya Group to expand its award-winning loyalty program Aura. The collaboration involves the launch of an Aura co-branded credit card in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.
From Formula 1 to the Champions League, Mastercard has high-profile partnerships everywhere. How do you make these big platforms truly resonate with the modern consumer, especially in the GCC/MENA?
As I have mentioned, we are committed to connecting people to their passions, and motorsports and football are perfect examples of passions that are especially strong in this region.
We have been the official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League for more than 30 years, and we are using this alliance to connect our cardholders – whether cheering from the stands or watching from home – to the sport they love. Our UEFA Champions League cards provide an opportunity to win free tickets to attend UEFA Champions League matches, including accommodation and travel, in addition to many other benefits.
This is not just a marketing strategy, but a business driver. We embed these assets into the propositions we offer our banks to create differentiated, passion-led solutions. We introduced the first UEFA Champions League card in the region with Attijariwafa Bank in Morocco in 2019. We also offer the cards in Saudi Arabia with the Saudi National Bank, in Bahrain with Bahrain Credit through IMTIAZ, in Kuwait with the National Bank of Kuwait, in Jordan with Arab Bank, and in Egypt with the National Bank of Egypt.
Most recently, we expanded our partnership with McLaren Racing by becoming the Official Naming Partner of the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team. As the sport continues to gain remarkable momentum and connect with audiences in new and dynamic ways, we saw an opportunity to show up differently – not simply as a sponsor, but as a true partner.
Our focus is on bringing fans closer to the action through Priceless Experiences and unprecedented access to the sport. For example, at last year’s Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, we invited fans to be part of the action at the first-ever Mastercard Fan Garage. The dynamic gaming hub featured adrenaline-fueled racing simulators, interactive AI experiences, a McLaren F1 Team show car, and a dedicated music hub. We also brought the sponsorship to life as we lit up the Burj Khalifa to support and celebrate with the McLaren team.
And this year, we are setting a new benchmark for how we connect with cardholders and fans, offering them a way to truly immerse themselves in the sport. A great example is Team Priceless – our fan-first global program that brings passionate fans closer to McLaren Racing through exclusive access, behind-the-scenes experiences, and race-weekend moments typically reserved for insiders. We’re especially excited for its upcoming stop in Abu Dhabi, and soon we’ll share how fans local to the area can apply to join.
AI is transforming marketing and finance. How is Mastercard leveraging predictive technologies to anticipate what GCC consumers want before they even ask?
AI is undoubtedly transforming both marketing and finance, but at Mastercard, our focus is on using predictive technologies in a way that is purposeful, responsible, and human-centered. GCC consumers are among the most digitally sophisticated in the world. They expect experiences that are relevant, seamless, and personalized, while also placing a high premium on trust and privacy.
Our approach to AI reflects that balance. We use advanced analytics and predictive technologies to understand patterns, intent, and context across our network, always in a privacy-safe and anonymized way. At Mastercard, our Economic Intelligence team works with economists and data scientists from the Mastercard Economics Institute to interpret our proprietary data assets and proven external data sources to understand consumer needs, preferences, and desires. They then turn those signals into clear readouts, scenarios, and guidance that give us a sharper view of the market.
Ultimately, our goal is not to use AI to guess what consumers want before they ask, but to use it to make interactions feel effortless and meaningful when it matters most. AI amplifies human insight. It helps us show up with relevance, trust, and value, often before the consumer even realizes they need support.
Gen Z consumers in the GCC are increasingly conscious about impact and sustainability. How does Mastercard make purpose-driven initiatives a core part of its engagement strategy?
According to our research, 2026 is shaping up to be the year of authentic intentionality, with consumers increasingly seeking more thoughtful, meaningful ways of living. In line with our ethos of doing well by doing good, we at Mastercard wholeheartedly support this movement. We actively contribute to building a sustainable world that works for everyone, and we are using our extensive global network of partners to accelerate positive change.
Through initiatives such as our Priceless Planet Coalition, we enable consumers, businesses, and partners to contribute to environmental restoration in simple, tangible ways. Whether through sustainable card materials, carbon awareness tools like our Carbon Calculator, or campaigns that link everyday spending to tree-planting and conservation efforts, we make impact accessible and actionable.
At Mastercard, we are reducing emissions in our own operations and supply chain and increasing our resilience to the impacts of climate change. Moreover, we are offering innovative solutions that help our partners and consumers achieve the same. This strengthens our business, creates long-term value, and helps protect our planet.
In conclusion, through digital financial inclusion, we foster more climate-resilient communities in which everyone can thrive, because the prosperity of people and the prosperity of the planet are inextricably linked.
