The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a leader in the global mobile shopping market, as highlighted by the “Global Digital Shopping Index 2025 – UAE Edition,” commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions and conducted by PYMNTS Intelligence. The findings are based on a survey of 1,679 consumers and 329 merchants within the country, shedding light on the increasing influence of mobile devices on consumer behavior. The insights provided will help retailers in the UAE enhance their digital shopping experiences for customers.
Key Findings from the Survey:
• 67% of consumers in the UAE utilized their mobile phones for their latest purchases, reflecting a 23% increase compared to 2022.
• The UAE recorded the highest rate of mobile device-driven e-commerce at 37%, outranking Singapore (34.8%), the UK (27.6%), and Brazil (24.4%).
• 32% of respondents in the UAE used biometric authentication methods (such as fingerprint or facial recognition) for their most recent online transactions, surpassing the global average of 17%.
• 53% of UAE consumers are interested in shopping through multiple channels (traditional stores, digital platforms, and various devices), marking the second highest rate globally.
• Shoppers in the UAE show the highest preference for rewards programs (75%), free shipping (73%), and price matching (70%) worldwide.
• 38% of consumers in the UAE made their most recent online purchase using their mobile or computer with a home delivery option.
These trends stem from a robust business ecosystem and strong regulatory environment, with close collaboration between merchants and the UAE government aimed at providing secure and seamless digital payment experiences centered around consumer priorities.
Sleiman Joutifa, Vice President and General Manager of Visa in the UAE, stated: “The UAE’s approach showcases the immense potential that can be achieved through collaborative efforts towards building the future of commerce. At Visa, we take pride in supporting the government’s digital commerce agenda and remain committed to collaborating with local companies and banks to deliver innovations like Visa’s ‘Click to Pay’ feature, meeting today’s consumer needs and evolving towards seamless and advanced digital payment experiences.”
The growing mobile shopping rates across diverse demographic groups demonstrate the deep-rooted “mobile-first” mentality among UAE consumers. Millennials lead this trend with a usage rate of 73%, while Generation X slightly surpasses Generation Z. Baby boomers and seniors show minimal reliance on mobile devices for purchases, with only 18% having used this method for their last transaction.
Implications for Businesses in the UAE:
Retailers in the UAE can enhance their sales by ensuring customers enjoy smooth and easy payment experiences during their purchases. Offering a wide array of payment options is crucial, as 77% of shoppers in the UAE reported that this factor influences their shopping locations. Over one in four consumers surveyed in the UAE used stored payment data for their latest transactions, compared to a global average of 45%. This indicates that retailers should explore ways to make stored payment options more appealing, alongside offering one-click payment and biometric authentication preferred by many consumers in the UAE.
To accelerate digital transformation in the retail sector, Visa is partnering with local stakeholders to roll out the “Click to Pay” feature, designed to streamline online shopping by enabling enhanced payment experiences without the need to manually input card details. Consumers shopping on participating e-commerce platforms can simply click the “Click to Pay” button to complete purchases quickly and securely using their preferred Visa card and shipping address. This feature utilizes encryption technology and available biometric authentication on consumer devices, without transmitting any biometric data, thus enhancing consumer data protection.
The study’s results were derived from the Global Digital Shopping Index survey for 2025, which encompassed 18,468 consumers and 3,464 merchants across eight countries: the USA, the UK, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE between October and December 2024. The UAE-specific edition surveyed 1,679 consumers and 329 merchants.