UAE consumers lead world in mobile shopping: Visa

The UAE has emerged as the world’s leading market for mobile shopping, according to the 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index, UAE edition, commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions and conducted by PYMNTS Intelligence.

Drawing on insights from a survey of 1,679 consumers and 329 merchants in the UAE, the report examines the growing role that mobile devices play in consumer behavior, providing UAE retailers insights to deliver more convenient and secure shopping experiences for their customers.

Key findings found that 67 per cent of UAE consumers used their phones as part of their latest retail purchase - marking a 23 per cent increase since 2022.

According to the index, The UAE has the highest rate of online shopping with mobile devices, at 37 percent, ahead of Singapore (34.8 percent), the U.K. (27.6 percent), and Brazil (24.4 percent).

32 percent of UAE consumers surveyed used biometric authentication (such as fingerprint or facial recognition) for their latest online retail transaction, far exceeding the global average of 17 percent.

53 percent of UAE consumers want to use cross-channel shopping (across physical and digital channels and different devices), the second-highest rate globally.

UAE shoppers rank among the highest worldwide in preferring rewards programmes (75 per cent), free shipping (73 per cent), and price matching (70 per cent).

38 per cent of UAE shoppers made their most recent retail purchase online through a mobile phone or computer for home delivery.

These trends are supported by a robust business and regulatory environment, with UAE merchants and government working closely to deliver secure, seamless, and customer-centric digital payment experiences.

Salima Gutieva, Visa’s Vice President and Country Manager for UAE, said, "The UAE’s approach shows what is possible when all stakeholders work together to build the future of commerce. Visa is delighted to contribute to the UAE government’s digital commerce agenda, and we remain committed to working with local businesses and banks to introduce innovations such as Visa’s Click to Pay that can deliver the digital payment experiences that today’s consumers demand.”

Consistently high rates of mobile shopping across demographic segments underscore just how universal the mobile-first mindset has become in the UAE.

Millennials lead in mobile shopping at 73 per cent, while Generation Z trails Generation X slightly. Baby boomers and seniors dropping off sharply, with just 18 per cent using a mobile phone for their latest purchase.