The UAE shopper has little patience for yesterday’s checkout. A phone can serve as a storefront, research assistant and wallet before a merchant’s website has time to prompt, “add to cart.” AI is now joining that toolkit, giving consumers new ways to find products, compare offers and decide what to buy.

“The 2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: UAE Playbook” is a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions. It examines how mobile use, AI and payment choice are changing commerce in the UAE. The report draws on responses from 1,270 UAE consumers. It is part of a broader March 2026 study of 5,241 consumers and 1,185 merchants across the UAE, Brazil and the United States. The research also includes 150 payment acquirers surveyed in early 2026.

UAE consumers already lead the three countries in digital shopping activity. Their growing use of AI could bring another wave of change. Shoppers show a strong willingness to let AI agents take on tasks across the buying journey. At the same time, they want clear limits, reliable payments and control over how agents use their information.

In “The 2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: UAE Playbook,” learn how:

• Digital buying is growing faster than browsing. UAE consumers average 2.3 digital shopping activities each day, up 5% from 2024. Online ordering for in-store pickup rose 15% while mobile use inside stores increased 11%.
• Popular shopping features remain in short supply. Seventy-four percent of shoppers want digital coupons, but only 60% of merchants offer them. Similar gaps appear for loyalty programs and targeted promo codes.
• Simple controls could unlock AI purchases. Eighty-two percent of UAE shoppers would allow an AI agent to make an unsupervised purchase if they could set a spending limit. More than half would cap those purchases at $100.

The findings give merchants a closer look at the consumers driving the UAE’s digital economy. They also show payment providers, banks and technology companies where businesses may need support. Product information must be easier for AI agents to read. Checkout systems must recognize trusted transactions. Shoppers also need simple ways to set permissions and spending limits.

Download the 2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: UAE Playbook to see where UAE commerce is heading and how your business can prepare for the next generation of shoppers.

About the Playbook

“The Global Digital Shopping Index” is a PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions collaboration. The UAE Playbook examines how consumer behavior, mobile usage, and AI adoption are reshaping retail across physical and digital channels. This playbook is the UAE edition of a three-country series produced in collaboration with Visa Acceptance Solutions and spanning 5,241 consumers and 1,185 merchants across Brazil, the U.S., and the UAE. It was fielded in March 2026 and includes a survey of 150 payment acquirers fielded across countries in early 2026. Samples are weighted to reflect the respective national adult populations.

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