Saudi Arabia tops Middle East in mobile payment usage: PwC

Saudi Arabia has topped the Middle East region in terms of mobile payment usage, global consultancy firm PwC said in a recent report.

"This is a long way from a few years back when Saudi Arabia consumers preferred cash on delivery payment and reported the lowest percentage of payment via credit cards," it added.

The UAE followed the Kingdom, but Egypt lagged with only 29 percent opting for mobile payment.

In-store remained the shopping channel of choice at both the Middle East and global level though smartphones were running a close second, especially in the region. Smartphones outpaced PC as a channel, with smartphone growth estimated at a 54 percent CAGR from 2016 to 2019 in the Middle East.

The report also found that Middle East consumers were not "afraid to pay a premium" especially for purchases related to health and wellness products, followed by technology/home entertainment and fashion.

In addition, 60 percent of Middle East respondents said social media influenced their "fashion" purchases, followed by 53 percent who cited technology purchases.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 22,000 consumers in 27 territories across the globe, including 1,004 respondents from the Middle East.