Mobile phones are most preferred payment devices in UAE

59% of consumers in the UAE prefer smartphones for payments

dubai — Mobile phones are the most commonly used device among consumers in the UAE and more than half of all consumers (59 per cent) prefer using their smartphones over any other device to make payments, according to the new Mastercard Impact of Innovation Study.

The study surveyed 23,000 consumers in 23 different countries across the Middle East, Africa and Europe about their attitudes to digital technology. It found that while in Africa and the Middle East over 70 per cent said they were ready to pay with their smartphones, Western Europeans have some way to go — only two fifths (40 per cent) said so. However, when asked about new ways to pay, consumers across all regions chose their smartphone as an alternative to the plastic card.

The study was released on the sidelines of the Mastercard Innovation Forum 2016, which opened on Tuesday in Budapest, Hungary with the participation of more than 500 attendees from the Middle East and Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

“The study points to how digital technology is reshaping the payment landscape in the UAE and impacting all areas of everyday life,” said Khalid Elgibali, division president for Middle East and North Africa, Mastercard.

“Smartphones have become an indispensable part of consumers’ daily lives and this has given rise to a new breed of mobile-first and mobile-only users, who rely on their phones for a variety of purposes including making payments.

The findings of the study underscore this growing consumer appetite for new and better ways to pay. The trend of consumers replacing cash and cards with phones also affirms the UAE’s reputation as one of the most tech-ready countries in the world.”

On the whole, consumers in the UAE have a positive attitude towards digitalisation and innovation and are optimistic about the potential of digital technologies to improve their lives, the study showed.

Public education, healthcare and public transport were identified as the areas where improvements in digital services are most needed.

— abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com