LONDON: Mastercard, a global payments and technology company, has partnered as an official sponsor of the Michelin Guide Dubai 2022.”In a culturally rich and diverse market where the love of food has become a universal language, culinary is a natural passion point for consumers in the UAE,” said Beatrice Cornacchia, senior VP, marketing and communications, EEMEA, Mastercard.”By partnering with Michelin, which is renowned for its industry-leading standards and constant quest for innovation and excellence, we are building on our legacy of providing culinary experiences to showcase the UAE’s extraordinary range of gastronomic experiences to the world,” Cornacchia said.As the official payment technology partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Mastercard unveiled its Cube installation at the site, which explored the future of digital payments.The installation immersed visitors in a variety of multi-sensory experiences as they embarked on “priceless journeys tailored to their passion, including sport, food and music, plus being a ‘force for good’,” according to a statement issued by Mastercard.”We are delighted to partner with Mastercard, whose passion for connecting people to culinary experiences matches our own. This partnership is another step in our ambition to provide the best recommendation and access to the finest dining experiences in Dubai by joining forces with other industry leaders,” said Nicolas Achard, managing director of the Michelin Guide Asia & Middle East.Dubai is the most recent addition to the Michelin Guide, which now includes 37 destinations in North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. The list of restaurants in the first Michelin Guide Dubai 2022 was finally released on June 21, 2022.Gwendal Poullennic, the international director of the Michelin Guide, revealed the names at a ceremony held at Dubai Opera.The inaugural edition featured 69 restaurants serving 21 different types of cuisine.Two restaurants were awarded two Michelin stars, nine restaurants were awarded one Michelin star, and 14 restaurants were named Bib Gourmand.