Huge demand for cards in the past

“Visa is the official payment partner for FIFA and we are their biggest partner in Oman. So, a meeting took place about eight years ago, and officials from the bank and Visa met and discussed the opportunities available and we made a plan that has been a successful partnership since then,” he added.

The demand for these cards soared during the last two World Cups, and Al Lawati is expecting a similar response this time out.

“It was huge because these are collectors’ items and there are people who collect these items on a regular basis,” he said. “They wait for these cards to come out every four years so they can add it to their collection. In Oman, it’s only been there for the last two World Cups and this one, but it’s been going on for a lot longer around the world.

“We had so much demand for special cards during the last World Cup that we had to, in fact, order a second batch of cards,” added Al Lawati. “There is a validity of two years on these cards because no card has a lifetime validity, but you can still keep this card even afterwards because this is a special card. Anyone is welcome to apply for these cards, because with our regular credit cards, we insist that your salary is credited to your Bank Muscat account, but here, we have issued a waiver so that anyone who opens an account with us can apply for these cards. All you have to do is give us a salary statement and you can apply for these cards.”