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Credit Cards in the United Arab Emirates

Publisher Euromonitor International
Published Jan 19, 2026
Length 28 Pages
SKU # EP20807778

Description

Credit cards in the United Arab Emirates witnessed a faster rise in terms of circulation in 2025, compared with the previous years of the review period. This growth was supported by a combination of targeted campaigns by local banks, expanding credit access among younger working professionals, and the rising demand for flexible payment options. Banks also became more aggressive in acquiring new customers, offering attractive sign-up bonuses, cashback programmes and partnerships with major retail...

Euromonitor International's Credit Card Transactions in United Arab Emirates report establishes the size and structure of the market for ATMs cards, smart cards, credit cards, debit cards, charge cards, pre-paid cards and store cards. It looks at key players in the market (issuers and operators), number of cards in circulation, numbers transactions and value of transactions. It offers strategic analysis of sector forecasts and trends to watch.

Product coverage: Commercial Credit Card Transactions, Personal Credit Card Transactions.

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

Why buy this report?
* Get a detailed picture of the Credit Card Transactions market;
* Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;
* Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands;
* Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.

Table of Contents

28 Pages
Credit Cards in the United Arab Emirates
Euromonitor International
January 2026
List Of Contents And Tables
CREDIT CARDS IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Targeted activities help to widen the base of credit card users
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Lifestyle spending stimulates credit card use
Fertile ground for credit cards in the United Arab Emirates
WHAT’S NEXT?
Ongoing shift to cashless society, rising consumer confidence and incentives to grow the possession and use of credit cards
Innovations and lifestyle-linked products to drive growth opportunities
Regulatory changes may impact credit card use
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Visa and First Abu Dhabi Bank invest in their credit card portfolios
Mastercard International innovates while Emirates NBD leverages a strong and diversified offer
CATEGORY DATA
Table 1 Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 2 Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 3 Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 4 Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 5 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 6 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 7 Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 8 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 9 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 10 Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 11 Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 12 Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 13 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 14 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 15 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 16 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 17 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 18 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 19 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 20 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 21 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 22 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 23 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 24 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 25 Forecast Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 26 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 27 Forecast Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 28 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 29 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 30 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 31 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 32 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 33 Forecast Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 34 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 35 Forecast Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 36 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
FINANCIAL CARDS AND PAYMENTS IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The number of cards in circulation rises healthily and steadily
KEY DATA FINDINGS
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Credit cards and pre-paid cards gain momentum while debit cards remain popular
Stronger fintech activity spurs usage
Leading players leverage ecosystems as smaller players struggle
WHAT’S NEXT?
Bright outlook for most types of financial cards
Company and government activities to increase the penetration of financial cards
E-commerce to hasten financial card use
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
RTA benefits from strong integration and tourism recovery to consolidate its position as the leading issuer
Visa benefits from strong growth in financial cards and partnerships
MARKET INDICATORS
Table 37 Number of POS Terminals: Units 2020-2025
Table 38 Number of ATMs: Units 2020-2025
Table 39 Value Lost to Fraud 2020-2025
Table 40 Card Expenditure by Location 2025
Table 41 Financial Cards in Circulation by Type: % Number of Cards 2020-2025
Table 42 Domestic versus Foreign Spend 2025
MARKET DATA
Table 43 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 44 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2020-2025
Table 45 Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 46 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 47 Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 48 Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 49 M-Commerce by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 50 M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 51 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 52 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 53 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 54 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 55 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 56 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2025-2030
Table 57 Forecast Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 58 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 59 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 60 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 61 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 62 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
SOURCES
Summary 1 Research Sources

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