Global Compendium 2025: Volume 4 Middle East Digital Commerce & Payments in the Age of Al

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways

2. Management Summary

3. Middle East: B2C E-Commerce & Payments Overview

• 3.1. Middle East Market Size and Regional Growth Trends
  • MENA: B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and Trends, March 2024
  • MENA: B2C E-Commerce Market Size, in USD billion, 2021, 2022 & 2026f
  • MENA: Increase in Order Value During Ramadan, by Country, in USD, April 2024
  • MENA: Increase in Online Purchases During Ramadan, by Product Category, in %, Q1 2024
  • KSA & UAE: Share of Respondents Who Shop Online During Ramadan, in %, 2023e
  • KSA & UAE: Share of Respondents Who Shop Online Weekly or Daily During Ramadan, in %, 2023e
  • KSA & UAE: Share of Respondents Who Plan to Shop Online More Frequently During Ramadan, in %, 2023e
  • KSA & UAE: Share of Respondents Who Plan to Shop Less Frequently in Person During Ramadan, in %, 2023e
• 3.2. Middle East Leading E-Commerce Markets
  • 3.2.1. Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia: B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and Trends, March 2024
  • Saudi Arabia: B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, in %, 2023 & 2035f
  • Saudi Arabia: B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Commerce, in %, 2022
  • Saudi Arabia: Millennials' Spending Share of Total B2C E-Commerce Sales, in %, 2023 & 2035f
  • Saudi Arabia: Share of Adults Who Made a Purchase Using a Mobile Phone or the Internet, in %, 2022
  • Saudi Arabia: Weekly B2C E-Commerce Activities, in % of Internet Users, Q3 2023
  • Saudi Arabia: Top 5 Online Shopping Drivers, in % of Internet Users, Q3 2023
  • Saudi Arabia: Top B2C E-Commerce Websites, by Visits in Millions, Bounce Rate in %, and Pages Per Visit, February 2024 (1 of 2)
  • Saudi Arabia: Top B2C E-Commerce Websites, by Visits in Millions, Bounce Rate in %, and Pages Per Visit, February 2024 (2 of 2)
  • Saudi Arabia: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
  • 3.2.2. United Arab Emirates
  • UAE: B2C E-Commerce Revenue, in USD billion, 2024e & 2028f
  • UAE: B2C E-Commerce Market Size, in USD billion, 2019-2026f
  • UAE: Mobile Commerce Market Size, in USD billion, 2019-2026f
  • UAE: B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, in %, 2026f
  • UAE: Share of Adults Who Made a Purchase Using a Mobile Phone or the Internet, in %, 2022
  • UAE: Weekly B2C E-Commerce Activities, in % of Internet Users, Q3 2023
  • UAE: Top 5 Online Shopping Drivers, in % of Internet Users, Q3 2023
  • UAE: Top B2C E-Commerce Websites, by Visits in Millions, Bounce Rate in %, and Pages Per Visit, February 2024 (1 of 2)
  • UAE: Top B2C E-Commerce Websites, by Visits in Millions, Bounce Rate in %, and Pages Per Visit, February 2024 (2 of 2)
  • UAE: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
  • 3.2.3. Israel
  • Israel: B2C E-Commerce Revenue, in USD billion, 2023e & 2027f
  • Israel: Fashion B2C E-Commerce Revenue, in USD billion, 2023e & 2027f
  • Israel: Share of Adults Who Made a Purchase Using a Mobile Phone or the Internet, in %, 2022
  • Israel: Weekly B2C E-Commerce Activities, in % of Internet Users, Q3 2023
  • Israel: Top 5 Online Shopping Drivers, in % of Internet Users, Q3 2023
  • Israel: Top B2C E-Commerce Websites, by Visits in Millions, Bounce Rate in %, and Pages Per Visit, February 2024 (1 of 2)
  • Israel: Top B2C E-Commerce Websites, by Visits in Millions, Bounce Rate in %, and Pages Per Visit, February 2024 (2 of 2)
  • Israel: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
• 3.3. Emerging Markets Across the Middle East
  • 3.3.1. Iran
  • Iran: B2C E-Commerce Value, in USD billion, March 2023 & September 2023, and Market Metrics, November 2023
  • Iran: Share of Adults Who Made a Purchase Using a Mobile Phone or the Internet, in %, 2022
  • Iran: Share of Social Media Apps Making Up Total B2C E-Commerce Deals, in %, 2023*
  • 3.3.2. Qatar
  • Qatar: B2C E-Commerce Market Size, in USD billion, 2023e & 2027f
  • Qatar: Share of Adults That Shop Online, in %, 2023e & 2027f
  • Qatar: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
  • 3.3.3. Kuwait
  • Kuwait: B2C E-Commerce Market Size, in USD billion, 2023e & 2027f, And Market Metrics, April 2023
  • Kuwait: Share of Adults Who Made a Purchase Using a Mobile Phone or the Internet, in %, 2022
  • Kuwait: Share of Internet Users Who Are Aware of B2C E-Commerce Platforms, in %, 2023e
  • Kuwait: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
  • 3.3.4. Jordan
  • Jordan: Share of Adults Who Made a Purchase Using a Mobile Phone or the Internet, in %, 2022
  • Jordan: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
  • 3.3.5. Bahrain
  • Bahrain: Share of Adults Who Made a Purchase Using a Mobile Phone or the Internet, in %, 2022
  • Bahrain: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
  • 3.3.6. Oman
  • Oman: B2C E-Commerce Market Size, in USD billion, June 2023e & 2028f
  • Oman: Top 10 Free Mobile Shopping Apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, by Rank, March 2024
• 3.4. Middle East Digital Payments & Economy Infrastructure
  • MEA: Total Non-cash Transactions Volume, in volume billions, 2018 & 2021-2024e & 2028f
  • MEA: Total B2B Non-cash Transactions Volume, in volume billions, 2018 & 2021-2024e & 2028f
  • MEA: Payment Mix: New Payments vs Traditional Payments, In % of transaction volume, 2023
  • Middle East: Digital Payment Market Overview, April 2024
  • MENA: Digital Economy Value, in USD billion, 2022 & 2030f
  • MENA: Share of Mobile Commerce Making Up Total Online Transaction Value, in %, 2025f
  • MENA: Share of Digital Wallets Making Up Total Online Spending, in %, 2023e
  • Saudi Arabia: Share of Adults That Made a Digital Payment, in %, 2022
  • Saudi Arabia: Breakdown of B2C E-Commerce Payment Methods, in %, 2022
  • UAE: Share of Adults That Made a Digital Payment, in %, 2022
  • UAE: Annual Volume Increase of Digital Payments During Ramadan, by Product Category, in % of Year-On-Year Change, April 2023
  • Israel: Share of Adults That Made a Digital Payment, in %, 2022
  • Iran: Share of Adults That Made a Digital Payment, in %, 2022
  • Kuwait: Share of Adults That Made a Digital Payment, in %, 2022
  • Jordan: Share of Adults That Made a Digital Payment, in %, 2022
  • Bahrain: Share of Adults That Made a Digital Payment, in %, 2022

4. Middle East: AI & Automation in Commerce

4.1. AI Adoption & Seller Readiness in the Middle East

• Middle East: Organizational AI Adoption Speeds, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
• Middle East: AI Implementation Levels by Business Function, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
• GCC & Middle East: Companies' GenAI Adoption, in % of Respondents, October-November 2024
• GCC: GenAI Adoption by Business Function, in % of Respondents, May 2024
• GCC: AI Strategies, Infrastructure Development, and Capability Gaps by Maturity Segment, July 2025
• GCC: Country-Level AI Progress in Investment, Infrastructure, and Capability Building, July 2025
• Saudi Arabia: GenAI Readiness, Infrastructure Scale-Up, and Sector-Specific Application Rollout, July 2025
• UAE: AI Integration Across Aviation, Retail, Financial Services, Logistics, and Telecommunications, July 2025
• UAE: AI-Driven Operational Scaling, Analytics Deployment, and Capability Development, July 2025
• UAE: AI Talent Development via Youth Initiatives, Workforce Reskilling, and Institutional Support, July 2025
• UAE: Strategic Partnerships, Scalable Infrastructure, and Innovation in National AI Landscape, July 2025
• UAE: Centennial 2071 Vision, Interagency AI Execution, and Adaptive Digital Regulation, July 2025
• Qatar: AI Market Value, in QAR billions, 2024e & 2030f
• Qatar: AI Investments, Localized Language Tools, Urban Tech Initiatives, and SME Support, July 2025
• 4.2. Impact, Investment, And Business Value in the Middle East
  • GCC & Mid. East: Expectations for Profit Impact of GenAI, in % of Resp. Anticipating Net Increase, Oct-Nov 2024
  • GCC & Mid. East: Net Increase from GenAI Adop. Across Five Business Metrics, in % of Resp., Oct-Dec 2024
  • MENA: AI-Driven IT Spending Growth, in USD billions, 2024 & 2025f
  • META: AI Spending and Growth Outlook, in USD Billions, 2024 & 2028f
  • MENA: Projected GDP Share from AI vs. Other Sources, in % of Total GDP, 2030e
  • Middle East: AI Value Measurement Practices by Country, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • Middle East: Data Capability Enhancements for AI, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • GCC: GenAI Economic Impact, Top Use Cases, Strategic Enablers, and Deployment Barriers, July 2025
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: AI Investment Priorities by Value Chain Segment, in % of Respondents, Aug 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Current & Future Gen AI Investment Plans by Business Function, in % of Org., Aug. 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Gen AI Investment Allocation, in % of Organizations, August 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Most Strategic GenAI Technology Partners by Type, in % of Respondents, Aug 2024
• 4.3. Use Cases and Operational Applications in the Middle East
  • Middle East: Top AI Applications in Daily Operational Use, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • MENA: AI-Driven Personalization, Risk Management, and National Investment in Financial Services, July 2025
  • MENA: AI-Driven Personalization, Risk, Fraud Detection, and Compliance in Financial Services, July 2025
  • Middle East: GenAI in Fraud Detection, Risk, Customer Engagement, and Financial Automation, July 2025
  • Middle East: GenAI Automation, Service Gains, and Talent Gaps in Financial Sector Strategy, July 2025
  • Saudi Arabia: Leading GenAI Use Cases by Application Type, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • UAE: Leading GenAI Use Cases by Application Type, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • Qatar: Leading GenAI Use Cases by Application Type, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
• 4.4. Barriers, Risks, and Governance in the Middle East
  • Middle East: Barriers to AI Development and Deployment, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • Middle East: Challenges in Attracting AI Talent by Country, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • Middle East: Linguistic Barriers, Cloud Gaps, Talent Cost Pressures, and Regulatory Challenges, July 2025
  • Middle East: Budget Overruns, Financial Planning Deficits, and AI Project Termination Risks, July 2025
  • GCC: Top Risks of Generative AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, Aug-Sep 2024
  • Middle East: AI-Related Operational Threat Levels by Country, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • Middle East: AI-Powered Financial Threat Detection, TPRM Pilots, and Infrastructure Security, July 2025
  • Middle East: AI Risk Management Measures, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • Middle East: AI Preparedness Levels by Organizational Areas, in % of Respondents, Oct-Dec 2024
  • MENA: AI Regulation in Finance via Ethics Principles, Data Laws, and Innovation Sandboxes, July 2025
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Data-Related Barriers Slowing AI Adoption in Finance, in % of Org., August 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Data-Related Barriers Slowing AI Adoption in Retail & Wholesale, in % of Org., Aug. 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Data-Related Barriers Slowing AI Adoption in Hospitality & Accommodation, in % of Org., August 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Data-Related Barriers Slowing AI Adoption in Media, Entertainment & Gaming, in % of Org., August 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Data-Related Barriers Slowing AI Adoption in Government, in % of Org., August 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Barriers to Accelerating GenAI Adoption, in % of Organizations, August 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Availability Status of Responsible AI Policies, in % of Respondents, August 2024
  • Saudi Arabia & UAE: Awareness of Key Government-Led AI Initiatives, in % of Respondents, Aug 2024
  • Saudi Arabia: GenAI Risks in Data, Labor, Society, Sovereignty, and AI Integrity, July 2025