Mastercard has launched ‘The Mastercard Collection’, a new suite of enhanced global dining, entertainment, and travel benefits, in the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) region. The elevated benefits are specially curated for cardholders of its premium World and World Elite portfolios, as well as the newly introduced ‘World Legend’ and ‘World Legend Exclusive’ Mastercards—the company’s most premium credit card tier to date.
The Mastercard Collection is designed to complement issuing banks’ existing rewards programs, providing consumers with priority access to exclusive benefits tailored to their passions, including dining, entertainment, and travel.
“With The Mastercard Collection and our World card portfolio, we are going beyond benefits to create experiences that truly matter,” said Prakriti Singh, executive vice president, Core Payments, EEMEA, at Mastercard. “Consumers today don’t just want access to benefits; they want moments that make memories. Through this launch we are turning everyday payments into extraordinary possibilities, providing consumers with exclusive access to experiences across dining, entertainment, and travel”.
Curated benefits for dining, entertainment, and travel
The new suite of benefits is designed to work seamlessly with cardholder lifestyles, both at home and while travelling. The benefits include:
- Dining: In-person and digital experiences in over 45 destinations, priority reservations at sought-after restaurants, and specially crafted menus. Featured venues include venues at One and Only Zabeel (Aelia, Andaliman, La Dame de Pic), as well as Roka Istanbul, Zuma Istanbul, Il Borro Dubai, Josette Dubai, Alici Dubai, and MAYABAY Dubai.
- Entertainment: Through an expanded partnership with Live Nation, cardholders in the EEMEA region will get easy access to pre-sale tickets, premium seating, and VIP experiences for over 75 concerts per year in the region and more than 2,500 events worldwide.
- Travel: Globetrotters will receive complimentary access to 1,350 airport lounges worldwide, in addition to dining, retail, and spa discounts in the terminal. A unique feature is the Mastercard-exclusive fast-track security lane at Istanbul Airport, with cardholders also having access to 190 fast-track security lanes at over 30 airports globally.
“At Mastercard, we believe in the power of connecting people to their passions,” said Ahmed Abdel-Karim Hussein, executive vice president, Integrated Marketing and Communications, EEMEA, at Mastercard. “Together with our partners such as Live Nation, we are enriching consumer experiences through curated benefits that caters to their lifestyle unlocking priceless moments”.
Shift to an “experience economy”
The launch of The Mastercard Collection is supported by the company’s research, which has revealed a paradigm shift in consumer spending. Consumers are increasingly prioritising connection and spending time and money on experiences with people who matter most to them.
According to Mastercard’s 2024 proprietary research, nearly 75 per cent of cardholders say they feel their best when pursuing their passions, such as culinary exploration, artistic endeavors, and cultural immersion. This trend is particularly true for the top 30 per cent of earners, who spend more than twice the average cardholder on such experiences.The new World Legend Mastercard is available to banks in the region now and is set to debut to cardholders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye in the fourth quarter of 2025, with a broader regional rollout to follow.
