Our Executives
J.K. Khalil
Executive Vice President, Division President of East Arabia
J.K. Khalil is executive vice president and division president of East Arabia at Mastercard, overseeing the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Pakistan markets.
As a member of the EEMEA executive leadership team, J.K., together with his team, has re-imagined the payments and technology landscape in the Middle East and scaled and deepened Mastercard’s role across the communities it serves.
For more than a decade, J.K. has led his team to deliver landmark partnerships for Mastercard, including strategic collaborations with market leaders like First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Emirates NBD. Additionally, he drove the orchestration of a robust cross-border payments and remittance vertical across the Middle East that has become one of its largest globally. He also spearheaded Mastercard’s work with non-traditional partners and enablers and plays a key role in the company’s extensive government and policy engagements across the region.
J.K. paves the way for new technologies through the global Mastercard Center for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology in Dubai, which was launched in collaboration with the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office.
He was instrumental in architecting Mastercard’s collaboration with Al Etihad Payments to enhance the UAE’s national financial infrastructure. J.K. was also behind the launch of the Mastercard EEMEA Academy Hub in Qatar, the next evolution of the Mastercard Academy, which supports the region’s push toward a knowledge-based economy. In Pakistan, he launched Strive Women in collaboration with CARE International, which aims to improve the financial health and resilience of 1.5 million entrepreneurs and small businesses. Under J.K.’s leadership, his team also led the orchestration of some of the largest transit partnerships in the world, impacting the lives of over 10 million Pakistanis.
In his previous role, he was the mastermind behind the on-soil deployment of Mastercard Gateway in Saudi Arabia to support over 30 million debit consumers on digital commerce.
In a prior position at Mastercard, J.K. led the Middle East markets at Mastercard Advisors, the world’s largest data-driven strategy and payments consulting practice that supports banking, merchant and government partners across the globe.
Before joining Mastercard, J.K. was a principal consultant with Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company), where he co-led the financial services practice with a focus on wealth management, risk and digital verticals. Previously, he was part of Barclays Bank’s Leadership Program, where he was the MENA managing director’s chief of staff.
Arabian Business included J.K. in its 100 Most Influential Arabs list in 2024 and 2025 as well as its GCC Young Achievers list in 2021.
J.K. holds an MBA with distinction from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is the President of its GCC Alumni Club chapter. He also has a Computer Systems & Networks Engineering degree from Saint Joseph University of Beirut. He is a YPO and LIFE member and a passionate supporter of the MENA tech landscape as an angel investor and board advisor.
