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UAE Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2029

Publisher GlobalData
Published Jun 17, 2025
Length 97 Pages
SKU # GBDT20265883

Description

UAE Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2029

Summary

GlobalData’s ‘UAE Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2029' report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the UAE cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, card, credit transfer, direct debits, and cheques during the review-period (2021-25e).

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 (2025e-29f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.

The report brings together GlobalData’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.

GlobalData’s ‘UAE Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2029' report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the UAE cards and payments industry, including -
  • Current and forecast values for each market in the UAE cards and payments industry, including debit, credit and charge cards.
  • Detailed insights into payment instruments including cash, credit transfer, card, cheques and direct debits . It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.
  • Ecommerce market analysis.
  • Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the 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 the UAE cards and payments industry.
Key Highlights
  • In February 2025, Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), announced the launch of Jaywan, the UAE's domestic card scheme, and its the operational readiness of the financial infrastructure, with banks and financial institutions, to offer cards to their customers soon. Jaywan will offer various card types, including debit, prepaid, and credit, usable across online, ATM, and POS channels. In March 2025, Jaywan partnered with Mastercard and Visa to launch a co-badged card in the country. Further, on March 2025, Jaywan partnered with China’s UnionPay International, to launch the co-badged “UnionPay - Jaywan” cards in the UAE.
  • The widespread adoption of contactless payments in transportation is further aiding adoption. In July 2024, the Ajman Transport Authority, in collaboration with BPC, introduced O-CITY, an integrated open-loop automated fare collection system, across the UAE's public bus fleet. The O-CITY system allows commuters to conveniently pay for their fares directly at onboard terminals using their existing contactless bank cards, eliminating the need for dedicated transit cards or traditional paper tickets. Similarly, in March 2025, the Ajman Transport Authority launched contactless payment system on public buses, allowing passengers to pay using bank cards, digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and wearable devices such as smartwatches.
  • The government is taking steps to boost the ecommerce market. For instance, in December 2024, the Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 was introduced by the government to regulate ecommerce and promote its growth through the use of technology and the creation of an intelligent infrastructure. The law mandates that ecommerce dealers comply with technological, legal, and security requirements, which includes securing the required licenses and keeping their platforms safe. Guidelines for consumer protection, refunds, insurance, logistics, digital payments, and dispute resolution are also established by the law.
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, credit transfer, card, cheques and direct debits .
  • 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 the UAE cards and payments industry and each market within it.
  • Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the UAE cards and payments industry.
  • Assess the competitive dynamics in the 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

97 Pages
  • Executive Summary
    • UAE: Key facts, 2025e
    • UAE: Benchmarking of payment cards, 2025e
    • Instant Payments
    • Payment Cards: Market Sizing and Forecasting
    • Payment Cards: Market by Product and Service Type
    • Debit Cards: Market Sizing and Forecasting
    • Debit Cards: Schemes
    • Debit Cards: Issuers
    • Credit and Charge Cards: Market Sizing and Forecasting
    • Credit and Charge Cards: Schemes
    • Credit and Charge Cards: Issuers
    • Credit Card Debt
    • Prepaid Cards: Market Sizing and Forecasting
    • Contactless Cards: Card Holding
    • Ecommerce: Market Sizing and Forecasting
    • Ecommerce: Market by Products and Services
    • Ecommerce: Market by Payment Tool
    • In-Store Payments: Market by Payment Tools
    • In-Store Payments: Market by Products and Services
    • Buy Now Pay Later: Online Purchasing
    • Mobile Proximity Payments
  • P2P Payments
  • Bill Payments
    • Alternative Payments: Payment Solutions
  • Payment Innovations
  • Job Analysis
    • POS Terminals and ATMs
    • Regulatory Environment
    • UAE: payment instrument transaction values (AED billions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: payment instrument transaction values ($ billions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: payment instrument transaction volumes (millions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: payment cards in circulation by type (millions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: volume of payment card transactions (millions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: value of payment card transactions (AED billions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: value of payment card transactions ($ billions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: debit cards in circulation (millions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: debit card transaction volumes, 2021-29f
    • UAE: debit card transaction values (AED), 2021-29f
    • UAE: debit card transaction values ($), 2021-29f
    • UAE: debit cards in circulation by scheme (millions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: debit card transaction values by scheme (AED billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: debit card transaction values by scheme ($ billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: debit cards in circulation by issuer (000s), 2021-25e
    • UAE: debit cards transaction value by issuer (AED billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: debit cards transaction value by issuer ($ billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit and charge cards in circulation (millions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit and charge card transaction volumes, 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit and charge card transaction values (AED), 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit and charge card transaction values ($), 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit and charge cards in circulation by scheme (000s), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit and charge card transaction values by scheme (AED billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit and charge card transaction values by scheme ($ billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit and charge cards in circulation by issuer (000s), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit and charge cards transaction value by issuer (AED billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit and charge cards transaction value by issuer ($ billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit cards in circulation (millions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit card transaction volumes, 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit card transaction values (AED), 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit card transaction values ($), 2021-29f
    • UAE: credit cards in circulation by scheme (000s), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit card transaction values by scheme (AED billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: credit card transaction values by scheme ($ billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: charge cards in circulation (000s), 2021-29f
    • UAE: charge card transaction volumes, 2021-29f
    • UAE: charge card transaction values (AED), 2021-29f
    • UAE: charge card transaction values ($), 2021-29f
    • UAE: charge cards in circulation by scheme (000s), 2021-25e
    • UAE: charge card transaction values by scheme (AED billions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: charge card transaction values by scheme ($ millions), 2021-25e
    • UAE: prepaid card transaction values (AED billions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: prepaid card transaction values ($ billions), 2021-29f
    • UAE: prepaid cards in circulation (millions), 2021-29f
    • Survey sample across countries

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