GCC Consumers Embrace Security Measures as Digital Payments Adoption Grows
Visa Stay Secure 2025 - GCC
A new study commissioned by Visa reveals a rise in consumer awareness and proactive security measures for digital payments in the GCC. The ninth annual Stay Secure study, which surveyed 5,800 adults across 17 Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa markets, found that 97% of consumers in the GCC now actively take precautions to secure their online transactions, showcasing increased savviness as digital payments gain momentum.
While nearly 50% of respondents in the GCC acknowledge their vulnerability to scams, the increased adoption of security measures and preference for stronger authentication indicate a positive shift in consumer behavior since the last edition of the Stay Secure study in 2023. Consumers are now actively spotting red flags and verifying the legitimacy of online interactions, showing a marked increase in awareness.
The Stay Secure study highlights evolving consumer preferences, which could offer Visa's stakeholders actionable intelligence for trust-building strategies and inform the creation of educational materials to empower consumers against fraud.
Visa’s Commitment to a Secure Digital Future
Visa has been at the center of AI in payments, investing $3.3 billion in our AI and data infrastructure over the last decade. In 2024, it introduced three new AI-powered risk and fraud prevention solutions, as part of the Visa Protect suite, that are designed to help reduce fraud across immediate A2A and card-not-present (CNP) payments, as well as transactions on and off Visa’s network.
As the world's largest SaaS platform, Visa combats cybercrime by deploying cutting-edge tools, expertise, and processes to help identify and mitigate fraud. The impact is undeniable: In the past year, Visa blocked $40 billion in fraudulent payment value, prevented 80 million fraudulent transactions, and averted over $122 million in estimated e-commerce fraud through malware detection.
About the Visa Stay Secure Study
The Visa Stay Secure study was conducted by Wakefield Research in December 2024. It involved a survey of 5,800 adults aged 18 years and over across 17 CEMEA markets. Sample sizes included 300 per market, with increased representation in Egypt (600), Pakistan (500), and Nigeria (500).
For more insights, see below:
Visa Stay Secure, KSA | Arabic
Visa Stay Secure, Kuwait | Arabic
Visa Stay Secure, Oman | Arabic
Visa Stay Secure, Bahrain | Arabic