UAE Survey Finds 70.7% of Residents Are Increasingly Using Digital Wallets
A new survey by Dubai-based insights consultancy SixthFactor shows that digital wallet adoption in the UAE continues to accelerate, with more than 70% of residents saying they are now more willing to use mobile payment platforms instead of cash or physical cards.
The study, based on responses from 1,050 UAE residents, found that 70.7% have become more open to using digital wallet services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Wallet. According to SixthFactor, the findings reflect a broader shift in everyday payment behaviour across the country, with adoption having increased over the past few years across multiple demographic groups.
Higher-Income Consumers Lead Adoption
The survey points to a clear relationship between income level and digital payment usage. Residents living in households earning AED 30,000 or more per month were the most receptive to mobile payments, with 75.5% indicating a greater willingness to use digital wallets.
By contrast, adoption was lower among respondents from households earning less than AED 10,000 per month. In this segment, 59.1% said they had become more willing to use digital payment methods, highlighting a 16.4 percentage point gap between the highest- and lowest-income groups surveyed.
SixthFactor said the results suggest that payment behaviour is not shifting at the same pace across all segments of the market, with lower-income consumers still lagging behind in digital wallet adoption.
Education Levels Also Influence Payment Preferences
The survey also identified a strong link between education and the use of digital alternatives. Among consumers with secondary education, 66.6% said they were more willing to pay using digital wallets.
This proportion increased to 73.5% among respondents with a bachelor’s degree and reached 73.6% for those with postgraduate or professional qualifications. The results suggest that educational background may play a role in shaping confidence and comfort levels with mobile payment tools.
Himanshu Vashishtha, Founder and Global CEO of SixthFactor, said the findings show how quickly payment habits have changed in the UAE.
“Seven in ten consumers saying they have become more willing to pay with digital wallets is a strong finding, and it reflects how quickly payment behaviour has shifted in the UAE over a relatively short period,” Vashishtha said.
He added that the income and education differences point to uneven adoption across the market, noting that these underserved groups may represent the next phase of growth for banks, retailers and payment providers.
Industry Analysis
The survey underscores the UAE’s continued move toward digital-first payments, while also showing that adoption remains uneven across income and education segments. For banks, merchants and wallet providers, the findings suggest that future growth may depend not only on expanding acceptance, but also on addressing barriers that continue to affect lower-income consumers.
As digital payments become more embedded in daily life, providers that can reach underpenetrated segments may be better positioned to capture the next wave of adoption in the UAE.
