Appointment marks one of the first Middle East organizations on the global Board
Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE, has been elected to the 2025–2027 Board of Advisors for the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). AEP is among the first organizations from the Middle East to be elected to this global body driven by the UAE’s growing leadership in cybersecurity and payment system resilience on the international stage.
The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing industry-driven, flexible, and effective data security standards and programs that help businesses detect, mitigate, and prevent cyberattacks and breaches.
Hani Bani Amer, Head of Information Security at AEP, will represent AEP as one of 64 global board members. He will serve as a strategic partner to the PCI SSC, contributing industry, regional, and technical expertise to support the Council’s mission of enhancing global payment security. The PCI SSC Board of Advisors plays a vital role in guiding the Council’s priorities and standard-setting initiatives. Members provide critical insights on global payment security trends, regional regulatory landscapes, and emerging technologies.
“Being elected to the PCI SSC Board of Advisors is both an honor and a responsibility”, said Hani Bani Amer. “Through our participation, we aim to ensure that our regional unique insights and perspectives are represented in the development of global standards, ultimately benefiting stakeholders locally and internationally. I look forward to working closely with my fellow Board members to advance strong, future-ready payment security standards that address today’s challenges and tomorrow’s cybersecurity threats.”
The new Board includes representatives from 61 organizations, reflecting the PCI SSC’s commitment to global inclusion. Members come from a wide range of sectors, including issuers, acquirers, merchants, processors, service providers, and technology companies.
Nitin Bhatnagar, Regional Director India, South Asia and Middle East, PCI Security Standards Council said, “Al Etihad Payments' participation on the new 2025-2027 board of advisors from the Middle East (UAE) region is a critical voice that will help ensure greater regional input into our payment security standards, providing even more opportunities for discussion and collaboration with some of the most innovative voices in our industry.
This term, in acknowledgment of the payments industry's ever-changing needs, the Board of Advisors has been expanded to a record 64 stakeholders, providing the Council with a broader range of views. The Board of Advisors will also be responsible for voting on new standards and major revisions to existing standards prior to their release. We are thrilled to welcome Al Etihad Payments to the newly elected 2025-2027 Board of Advisors.”
AEP continues to play a key role in advancing the UAE’s digital economy through initiatives such as Aani, the real-time payments platform, and Jaywan, the domestic card scheme. AEP is building a secure, resilient, and inclusive payments ecosystem. Both platforms are designed to meet local market needs while embedding global best practices for data protection and transaction security. By joining the PCI SSC Board of Advisors, AEP strengthens its commitment to adopting and shaping industry-driven, flexible, and effective security standards that safeguard sensitive payment data across every layer of the digital payments journey from cards to real-time transfers.