Etisalat, a UAE-based telecommunications services provider, Emirates NBD, a UAE bank, Gemalto and Visa have unveiled plans to offer mobile contactless technology in the region that will enable NBD Visa cardholders to purchase goods and services with their NFC-enabled mobile phones.

Purchases will be charged directly to the customer’s Emirates NBD Visa credit card account. NFC enabled mobile phones will soon be available from handset manufacturers like Samsung and Nokia in the UAE and Etisalat is working to bring these to market.

The plans were announced at Gitex Technology Week 2009, which concludes tomorrow at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.