Mashreq Bank partners with Emirates Skywards to announce new Salaam rewards benefit powered by Points International

TORONTO, June 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global leader in powering loyalty commerce, Points, (TSX:PTS) (Nasdaq:PCOM) announced today that they have launched a new service with leading UAE financial institution, Mashreq, and Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, that enables Mashreq customers to exchange their Salaam points into Skywards Miles. Mashreq customers earn reward points on transactions using eligible Mashreq debit or credit cards or via other banking solutions. Now, they can easily convert these into Skywards Miles, opening up a wealth of new reward options from flight bookings with Emirates and their partner airlines, travel packages with Emirates Holidays or even dining offers, tours and attractions and more.

Kartik Taneja, Head of Payments at Mashreq, said, "Mashreq has a vision of becoming the region's most client centric bank, giving our customers great experiences when they use their cards. Allowing customers to instantly convert Salaam points to Skywards Miles is one step in achieving that vision. It also cements the position of Salaam as the region's leading and most progressive banking loyalty program. Our partnership with Points & Emirates Skywards comes at a critical juncture as the travel and hospitality industry is voicing optimism for demand rebound and tourism related activities are gaining momentum with Covid-19 restrictions easing off further in many parts of the world. This new proposition offers a fantastic opportunity for our customers to use Salaam points and enjoy the significant privileges that come with the Skywards Miles programme."

The introduction of this new membership advantage bringing together two of the UAE's most prominent loyalty programs has been enabled by the implementation of Points Exchange product.

Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Skywards, said: "We're very pleased to partner with Mashreq Bank and Points International to offer Salaam Rewards members a chance to experience the award-winning Emirates Skywards loyalty programme. The partnership will allow customers to easily convert Salaam points into Skywards Miles, and access fantastic rewards including flight tickets on partner airlines, flight upgrades, hotel stays, money-can't-buy-experiences and many more benefits. We look forward to continuing working closely with our partners to ensure we always offer customers more ways to spend Miles on exciting offers in the air and on-ground."

Rob MacLean, CEO of Points, welcomed the news, "We are proud to be bringing together two of the region's flagship membership programs with the implementation of this new service. Our fully-customizable Exchange product enables loyalty programs to implement new membership benefits quickly and easily, alleviating the resources needed to build out and manage a currency exchange solution on their own."

Points partners with close to 60 of the world's best known names in travel and hospitality. Their Dubai office has been working with Emirates since 2018 and during this time has implemented multiple product solutions that enable Emirates Skywards members to do more with their Miles, bringing a valuable revenue stream into the loyalty program.

For more information on how Points can help loyalty programs unlock their full potential, visit Points.com.

About Points International

Points (TSX: PTS) (NASDAQ: PCOM) is a trusted partner to the world's leading loyalty programs, leveraging its unique Loyalty Commerce Platform to build, power, and grow a network of ways members can get and use their favourite loyalty currency. Our platform combines insights, technology, and resources to make the movement of loyalty currency simpler and more intelligent for nearly 60 reward programs worldwide. Founded in 2000, Points is headquartered in Toronto with teams operating around the globe.

For more information, visit Points.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5ed4e513-fab5-4430-b922-8a97a9f73eb4