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Pre-Paid Cards in the United Arab Emirates

Publisher Euromonitor International
Published Jan 19, 2026
Length 25 Pages
SKU # EP20807787

Description

Pre-paid cards in the United Arab Emirates witnessed strong growth in the number of cards in circulation, led by the dominant closed loop format, in 2025. This growth was underpinned by rising consumer demand for budget control and gifting solutions. Closed loop pre-paid cards linked to retail groups and transportation systems benefited from everyday use during shopping trips and when commuting, while open loop pre-paid cards gained traction among unbanked and younger consumers seeking flexible...

Euromonitor International's Pre-Paid 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: Closed Loop Pre-Paid Card Transactions, Open Loop Pre-Paid 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 Pre-Paid 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

25 Pages
Pre-Paid Cards in the United Arab Emirates
Euromonitor International
January 2026
List Of Contents And Tables
PRE-PAID CARDS IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Pre-paid cards cater to a wide range of needs
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Greater uptake and use of closed loop and open loop pre-paid cards
Pre-paid integration through digitalisation
WHAT’S NEXT?
Closed and open loop pre-paid cards to gain momentum as daily payment tools
Focus on micro pre-paid card transactions
Learning the pre-paid function early
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
RTA dominates closed loop pre-paid cards with transportation cards
Visa leverages wide acceptance and partner networks while First Abu Dhabi Bank’s strong offer appeals to personal and commercial users
CATEGORY DATA
Table 1 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 2 Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 3 Pre-paid Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 4 Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 5 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 6 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 7 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 8 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 9 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 10 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 11 Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 12 Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 13 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 14 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 15 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 16 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 17 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 18 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 19 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 20 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 21 Forecast Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 22 Forecast Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 23 Forecast Pre-paid Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 24 Forecast Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 25 Forecast Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 26 Forecast Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 27 Forecast Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 28 Forecast Open Loop Pre-paid 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 29 Number of POS Terminals: Units 2020-2025
Table 30 Number of ATMs: Units 2020-2025
Table 31 Value Lost to Fraud 2020-2025
Table 32 Card Expenditure by Location 2025
Table 33 Financial Cards in Circulation by Type: % Number of Cards 2020-2025
Table 34 Domestic versus Foreign Spend 2025
MARKET DATA
Table 35 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 36 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2020-2025
Table 37 Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 38 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 39 Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 40 Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 41 M-Commerce by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 42 M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 43 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 44 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 45 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 46 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 47 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 48 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2025-2030
Table 49 Forecast Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 50 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 51 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 52 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 53 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 54 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
SOURCES
Summary 1 Research Sources

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