The ‘UAE Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2030' report provides detailed analysis of market trends in UAE cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, cards, credit transfer, direct debits and cheques during the review-period (2022-26e).
The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2026e-30f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.
The report brings together the analyst’s research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies and recent changes in regulatory structure.
The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2026e-30f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.
The report brings together the analyst’s research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies and recent changes in regulatory structure.
The ‘UAE Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2030' report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into UAE cards and payments industry, including:
- Current and forecast values for each market in UAE cards and payments industry, including debit, credit and charge cards.
- Detailed insights into payment instruments including cash, cards, credit transfer, direct debits and cheques. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.
- Ecommerce market analysis.
- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing UAE cards and payments industry.
- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit and charge cards.
- Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards.
- The competitive landscape of UAE cards and payments industry.
Key Highlights
- In November 2025, the CBUAE launched the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) 2026-2030, in partnership with the World Bank, the OECD, and the Arab Monetary Fund, laid out a clear roadmap to ensure fair, secure access to financial services in the UAE. Key priorities include strengthening laws and regulation for inclusion, driving digital transformation across the financial sector, boosting financial literacy and wellbeing, and leveraging data and AI for innovation and policymaking-especially via a National Financial Wellbeing Index. Strategically, by 2030 the NFIS aims to increase financial accounts and use of digital payments, align financial innovation with regulatory standards, and expand inclusion.
- Merchant payment acceptance in the UAE is developing with the launch of cost-effective mobile and Soft POS solutions. In November 2025, Sharjah Islamic Bank launched SIB Pay, enabling merchants to accept QR payments, smartphone tap-to-pay (soft POS), ecommerce transactions, and pay-by-link payments without traditional POS hardware. The solution lowers entry barriers for small and medium-sized businesses by reducing hardware dependence and accelerating deployment.
- Contactless payments are increasingly being introduced in public transportation. In February 2026, the Roads and Transport Authority of Sharjah introduced an electronic toll system for commercial trucks called Masar. Using sensors and AI, the system automatically detects vehicles and processes tolls. Tahseel, the digital payments platform of the Sharjah Finance Department, handles payments and supports bank cards, digital wallets, and an NFC-enabled contactless card. The system replaces manual methods of toll collection. Under the Masar system, toll gates connect directly to Tahseel’s infrastructure, allowing immediate, cashless payment once a vehicle is identified. The system generates real-time financial reporting and integrates with Tahseel’s digital wallet to settle transactions instantly.
Report Scope
- Card market size in terms of number of cards, value and volume of transactions in UAE along with detailed card segmentation of debit, credit and charge cards available in the country.
- Market sizing and analysis of major payment instruments including cash, cards, credit transfer, direct debits and cheques.
- Payment market trends and growth for both historical and forecast period
- Competitor analysis with detailed insights into leading card issuers and schemes.
- Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards.
- A detailed snapshot of country's key alternative payment brands.
Reasons to Buy
- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to UAE cards and payments industry and each market within it.
- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in UAE cards and payments industry.
- Assess the competitive dynamics in UAE cards and payments industry.
- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in UAE.
- Gain insights into key regulations governing the UAE cards and payments industry.
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary2. Market Overview
3. Macroeconomics, Regulation, and Infrastructure
4. Payment Instruments
5. Card-Based Payments
6. Instant payments
7. Digital Wallet Payments
8. Buy Now Pay Later
9. Retail Payments
10. In-Store Payments
11. Ecommerce Payments
12. Bill Payments
13. P2P and Remittances
14. Appendix
List of Tables
- Key facts, 2026
- Payment instrument transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Payment instrument transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Payment instrument transaction volumes (units), 2022-2030f
- Payment cards in circulation by type (units), 2022-2030f
- Volume of payment card transactions (units), 2022-2030f
- Value of payment card transactions (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Value of payment card transactions ($), 2022-2030f
- Debit cards in circulation (units), 2022-2030f
- Debit card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Debit card transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Debit card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Debit cards in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Debit card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Debit card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- Debit cards in circulation by issuer (units), 2022-26e
- Debit cards transaction value by issuer (LCU), 2022-26e
- Debit cards transaction value by issuer ($), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards in circulation (Units), 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge card transaction values (units), 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Credit and charge cards in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards in circulation by issuer (units), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards transaction value by issuer (LCU), 2022-26e
- Credit and charge cards transaction value by issuer ($), 2022-26e
- Credit card in circulation (units), 2022-2030f
- Credit card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Credit card transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Credit card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Credit card in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Credit card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Credit card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- Charge card in circulation (units), 2022-2030f
- Charge card transaction volumes, 2022-2030f
- Charge card transaction values (LCU), 2022-2030f
- Charge card transaction values ($), 2022-2030f
- Charge card in circulation by scheme (units), 2022-26e
- Charge card transaction values by scheme (LCU), 2022-26e
- Charge card transaction values by scheme ($), 2022-26e
- retail market by product categories (LCU), 2022-2030f
- retail market by product categories ($), 2022-2030f
- Card penetration per inhabitant
- Average number of monthly card transactions
- POS terminals per 1,000 inhabitants
- Inflation rate
- GDP growth rate
- Unemployment rate
- Average annual wages
- Total population
- Banked population
- Internet penetration
- Mobile phone penetration
- Number of ATMs and ATMs per 1 million inhabitants
- Number of POS terminals and POS terminals per 1 million inhabitants
- Payment istrument transaction volume (paper-based vs electronic payments)
- Payment instruments transaction value
- Payment instruments transaction volume
- Cross-border payment value
- Cross-border payment Volume
- Payment cards number of cards in circulation
- Payment cards card penetration per individual, by card type
- Payment cards value of card transactions
- Payment cards volume of card transactions
- Payments card value physical POS vs. remote
- Payments card volume physical POS vs. remote
- Payments value domestic vs. cross-border
- Payments volume domestic vs. cross-border
- Debit card frequency of payments and average transaction value
- Debit card ATM withdrawals frequency of use and average transaction value
- Debit card issuers by number of cards
- Debit card issuers by transaction value share
- Credit and charge card frequency of payments and average transaction value
- Credit and charge card ATM withdrawals frequency of use and average transaction value
- Credit and charge card schemes transaction value
- Credit and charge card schemes transaction volume
- Credit and charge card schemes market share in terms of transaction value
- Credit and charge card issuers by number of cards
- Credit and charge card issuers by transaction value share
- Credit card balances outstanding
- Credit card balances outstanding repayment schedule
- Number of prepaid cards, value and volume
- Prepaid card usage drivers
- Instant payments transaction value and volume
- Digital wallet transaction value and value
- Mobile Proximity Payments usage drivers
- Mobile Proximity Payments funding methods
- BNPL online transaction value and transaction volume
- BNPL share of overall ecommerce transaction value
- Preferred BNPL brand/tool for in-store and online payments
- Retail sales
- In-store transaction value by payment method
- In-store payment tool usage drivers
- In-store transaction value by products and services
- E-commerce transaction value and ecommerce breakdown by mobile vs. desktop/laptop
- Ecommerce market by product and services
- Ecommerce market by paymnet tools
- Online payment tool usage drivers
- Bill Payments - Breakdown by payment tools
- Bill Payments- Frequency of bill payments
- P2P Payments - Domestic and International P2P money transfers and top priorities for P2P tools
- Value of inward and outward remittances
- Top 10 countries for inward and onward remittances
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Emirates NBD
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
- Dubai Islamic Bank
- First Abu Dhabi Bank
- ADIB
- Emirates Islamic
- RAKBANK
- HSBC
- Mashreq Bank
- Commercial Bank of Dubai
- Standard Chartered
- Citibank
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
