Digital Remittance Apps Overtake Traditional Channels in UAE and Saudi Arabia, Visa Report Finds

A new Visa report highlights a decisive pivot toward digital remittance channels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, underscoring how technology is reshaping how families and communities support loved ones abroad. The findings show a broad-based preference for digital applications over traditional brick-and-mortar locations, driven by perceived ease of use, enhanced safety and privacy, and faster transaction times. Even as digital adoption accelerates, cost remains a notable barrier for many users, with a sizable share citing fees as a friction point on both sending and receiving money. Against this backdrop, the UAE sits among the world’s leading remittance hubs, while Saudi Arabia also demonstrates a strong shift toward digital transfers, reflecting a broader Gulf trend of modernization in payments and cross-border money movement.

UAE Remittance Landscape: Digital Adoption, Drivers, and Economic Impact

The shift toward digital remittance channels in the UAE is pronounced and accelerating. Nearly two in three residents in the UAE now prefer sending money through digital applications as opposed to physically visiting remittance locations. This substantial tilt toward digital methods aligns with broader fintech and digital wallet adoption in the Gulf region, where technology-enabled financial services are rapidly becoming mainstream. In the latest Visa Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report, 50 percent of respondents cited ease of use as a key reason for adopting digital apps, while 46 percent highlighted safety, privacy, and faster transactions as critical drivers. Taken together, these figures reveal a consumer base that increasingly prioritizes user experience, data security, and speed when moving money across borders.

The UAE’s remittance profile is distinctive on multiple fronts. It is recognized as the world’s third-largest sender of remittances, a status that reflects the UAE’s role as a major hub for expatriate communities and its strategic position within international value chains. Ukrainian, Indian, Filipino, Egyptian, Pakistani, and other diaspora groups contribute to substantial outward flows that underpin families’ and communities’ livelihoods back home. Remittance activity in the UAE remains deeply anchored in family needs and humanitarian considerations: 49 percent of respondents send money to address humanitarian or family needs, 48 percent provide regular ongoing support for loved ones, and 42 percent cover unexpected expenses. Remarkably, a sizable 95 percent of respondents indicated they send remittances at least once a year, illustrating a persistent and reliable pattern of cross-border money movement that sustains both household budgets and broader social commitments.

Economic projections further underscore the UAE’s growing prominence in international remittance markets. Statista’s analysis places the UAE among the leading corridors for remittance flows, with transaction values expected to grow at an annual rate of 16.91 percent, reaching about $6.59 billion by 2030. This trajectory highlights the cumulative impact of rising digital adoption, expanding access to cross-border payment services, and the UAE’s status as a cosmopolitan, globally connected economy. The research also sheds light on the financial dynamics that accompany this growth, including the drivers of demand for remittances and the ways in which households deploy funds to address education, health, housing, and entrepreneurship in their countries of origin.

Nevertheless, the transition to digital channels in the UAE is not without challenges. A significant portion of respondents identified high transfer fees as a primary friction point. Specifically, 32 percent cited fees as a pain point when sending money, and 27 percent flagged fees when receiving funds. These figures reveal that while digital channels offer advantages in convenience, time, and security, cost remains a critical consideration for households, particularly for lower- and middle-income segments that rely on smaller, more frequent transfers. The persistence of these concerns may influence the choice of platform, the structure of pricing, and the development of alternative transfer routes that optimize both affordability and speed.

Industry leadership and regulatory collaboration are central to sustaining the UAE’s momentum in digital remittances. Salima Gutieva, Visa’s Vice President and UAE country manager, emphasized the centrality of digital payments to supporting families and communities worldwide. She noted that the UAE, as one of the world’s largest remittance hubs, plays a pivotal role in enabling these flows and highlighted Visa’s ongoing efforts to introduce new ways—through partnerships with financial institutions and fintechs—to meet local demand for simpler, faster, and more secure international transfers. Visa’s strategic initiatives in the UAE include expanding international money transfer options through its network and service offerings. The Visa Direct service, for instance, enables real-time transfers to eligible cards, bank accounts, and digital wallets globally, thereby reducing settlement times and enhancing accessibility for recipients. More recently, Visa launched Visa+, a capability that enables international transfers using just a mobile number, simplifying the recipient onboarding process and reducing friction for senders who may not know the recipient’s full banking details.

In practice, these innovations translate into tangible benefits for UAE residents who engage in cross-border remittances. Real-time transfers to cards and wallets can shorten the window between initiating a payment and funds availability, which is particularly important for households that depend on timely support for living expenses, school fees, or emergency needs. The integration with mobile numbers through Visa+ underscores a broader trend toward phone-centric payments, where the ubiquity of smartphones and mobile wallets makes cross-border transfers more accessible to a wider audience, including younger segments and first-time remittance users. Moreover, collaboration with local banks and fintechs paves the way for more competitive pricing, improved exchange rates, and more transparent transfer tracking, all of which contribute to a more user-friendly digital remittance experience.

The UAE’s position as a leading remittance hub also depends on the broader financial infrastructure that supports digital payments. The government’s ongoing modernization of payments rails, the growth of digital wallets, and the rise of contactless and mobile-first payment experiences create a hospitable environment for digital remittance services to flourish. In this context, the role of financial institutions, technology providers, and policy-makers is to balance innovation with consumer protections, ensure data privacy and security, and maintain high levels of reliability and resilience across cross-border payment networks. While the report highlights the accelerating adoption of digital remittance channels, it is also a reminder that continued progress will require ongoing investment in fraud prevention, user education, and transparent fee structures to sustain trust and encourage broader participation in digital remittance ecosystems.

In sum, the UAE’s remittance market demonstrates a dynamic synthesis of consumer demand, technological innovation, and institutional capabilities that collectively drive a shift toward digital-first remittance practices. The convergence of user-friendly digital platforms, safety assurances, and faster transaction times is reshaping how families manage cross-border transfers, while the continued emphasis on cost competitiveness and access will influence platform choice and consumer satisfaction in the years to come. The UAE’s experience provides a blueprint for other remittance markets, illustrating how digital channels can be scaled effectively through strategic partnerships, customer-centric product design, and robust risk management.

Subsection: The Customer Experience and Digital Wallet Ecosystem

A central element of the UAE’s digital remittance transformation is the evolution of the customer experience. Users increasingly demand intuitive interfaces, transparent fees, and clear tracking capabilities that provide real-time visibility into the status of transfers. Digital wallet ecosystems, often tied to mobile banking apps or standalone fintech platforms, enable recipients to access funds quickly without requiring traditional bank accounts, which expands financial inclusion and broadens the base of potential beneficiaries. The convergence of remittance services with wallet ecosystems also unlocks ancillary financial services, such as micro-savings, bill payments, and merchant payments, creating a more holistic financial experience for users who live in a multinational ecosystem.

For senders, the primary benefits are speed, convenience, and control. Digital remittance platforms offer one-click transfers, automated recurring payments, and the ability to initiate transfers from anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility is particularly valuable for overseas workers who may have irregular work schedules or limited time to visit physical remittance outlets. For recipients, receiving funds via real-time or near-real-time channels reduces liquidity gaps and enables more effective household budgeting. The ability to receive funds directly into a card, a bank account, or a digital wallet adds versatility, enabling beneficiaries to use funds for essential needs immediately or to manage them for longer-term goals.

The UAE’s digital remittance landscape also benefits from a vibrant ecosystem of fintechs and financial institutions that are actively expanding cross-border payment services. These players are introducing more user-friendly interfaces, supporting multi-currency wallets, and offering domestic and international transfers with consistent service levels. In addition, increased competition among providers tends to drive improvements in speed, reliability, and customer support, which in turn fosters greater user trust and adoption of digital channels.

However, ongoing education remains critical. A substantial segment of remittance users may be transitioning from traditional methods and could require guidance on the best practices for exchanging currencies, understanding transfer fees, and safeguarding personal data. Financial education campaigns, clear disclosure of costs, and transparent dispute resolution processes can help relieve concerns and encourage more households to shift toward digital remittance channels. The UAE’s experience demonstrates that digital-first remittance models can be scaled and refined through a combination of user-centric design, strategic partnerships, and ongoing consumer protection measures, all of which contribute to more inclusive and efficient cross-border money movement.

Subsection: Market Size, Projections, and Fee Dynamics

The broader market indicators paint a picture of sustained growth for remittances in the UAE and across the Gulf region. The UAE’s status as a leading remittance hub is reinforced by projected transactional growth, with the UAE expected to enroll in a roughly double-digit annual growth trajectory in remittance values, driven by rising digital adoption and expanding financial access. This growth is underpinned by an ongoing shift away from cash-based remittances toward digital channels that enable faster settlement times, improved traceability, and more convenient user experiences. The projected overlay of digital payments expansion within the UAE’s domestic economy, along with a growing network of international transfer options, creates a synergistic effect that can reinforce the appeal of digital remittance services to both senders and recipients.

Fee psychology remains an essential element of user decision-making in remittances. The disclosed pain points—32 percent concerned about sending fees and 27 percent about receiving fees—highlight a nuanced challenge for providers. While digital platforms offer speed and convenience, the tension between affordability and service quality remains. Providers must navigate competitive pricing strategies, transparent fee disclosures, and value-based pricing models to maintain trust and avoid price sensitivity eroding adoption. In practice, this means that some platforms may pursue differentiated pricing, tiered services with premium features, or promotional periods to attract new users while sustaining the profitability of core remittance offerings.

In addition to pricing, currency conversion costs and exchange rate transparency often influence the total cost of remittance. Even when transfer fees are low, users may face less favorable exchange rates, which can accumulate into higher effective costs over time. The UAE market, with its international workforce and diverse recipient countries, necessitates careful exchange rate management and clear communication about how currency conversions affect transfer amounts. Providers that effectively combine competitive transfer fees with transparent exchange rates and straightforward fee structures stand to improve user satisfaction and retention in a highly competitive digital remittance space.

The UAE-specific findings also reveal a broader narrative about digital inclusion and financial participation. Access to digital remittance channels extends financial services to migrant workers and families who may have limited access to traditional banking networks. By leveraging digital platforms, these populations gain faster access to funds, improved odds of timely support, and more predictable remittance delivery. At the same time, the emphasis on safety and privacy highlights a demand for robust cybersecurity measures, fraud prevention, and user education to ensure that digital remittance experiences remain secure and trustworthy over time. The confluence of inclusion, speed, and security is shaping a new paradigm for cross-border money movement in the UAE.

Overall, the UAE’s remittance market illustrates how digital channels can reshape the economics of cross-border transfers. When digital adoption is paired with secure technology, efficient settlement processes, and customer-centric service design, remittances become faster, more reliable, and more accessible to a broad range of households. The public-private collaboration, particularly between Visa and local financial institutions, demonstrates how cross-border payment networks can be adapted to regional needs, delivering an enhanced experience for users and supporting the UAE’s overarching mission to maintain its status as a global financial hub.

Saudi Arabia Remittance Trends: Digital Shift and Expenditure Dynamics

Saudi Arabia’s remittance landscape mirrors many of the Gulf region’s digital transformation dynamics, with a strong and growing tilt toward digital channels. In Saudi Arabia, Visa’s research shows that 59 percent of people now prefer sending money through digital applications, indicating a substantial shift from traditional, in-person remittance channels. This trend highlights the penetration of mobile-first financial services into daily life and underscores the acceptance of digital platforms as a front-line option for international transfers among the Saudi population. The preference for digital remittances in Saudi Arabia is driven by several key attributes, including safety, privacy, and speed, which were cited by 47 percent of respondents as the principal advantages of digital channels. Ease of use followed closely at 43 percent, signaling that user-friendly interfaces and intuitive design are critical to sustaining adoption.

Confidence in digital channels continues to grow in Saudi Arabia, reflecting an improving perception of the reliability and security of online remittance platforms. Forty-three percent of respondents cited peace of mind as a reason for using apps, an increase of six percentage points from the 2024 period. This uptick suggests that as digital payment ecosystems mature, users increasingly believe in the safety and predictability of digital remittance processes, including transactional integrity, fraud prevention, and secure authentication. Such confidence is essential for broad-based adoption, particularly for a country with a large expatriate population and a reliance on cross-border money movements to support families.

The Saudi remittance market is characterized by both high usage and resilience in the face of cost considerations. The survey reveals that 93 percent of respondents send money at least once a year, underscoring a deeply ingrained pattern of annual remittance activity among households and expatriates. In 2024, expatriate remittances from the Kingdom reached SR144 billion, marking the highest level since 2021. This data point illustrates the scale and significance of remittance flows from Saudi Arabia, reflecting the country’s status as a major source of outbound remittances to diverse regions around the world. The scale also emphasizes the potential for digital channels to capture an even larger share of these flows in the coming years, given the continued accrual of digital infrastructure and payment innovations in the Kingdom.

Yet, high costs remain a notable friction point for Saudi remitters and recipients. The report indicates that 29 percent cite fees as a barrier when sending money and 33 percent cite fees when receiving funds. Fee concerns in Saudi Arabia echo the broader regional challenge of balancing affordability with platform quality and security. In a market where the total amount remitted annually is substantial, even modest fee reductions or more transparent pricing structures can have material effects on adoption rates, customer loyalty, and transaction volumes. Providers that can deliver transparent, predictable, and competitive fee frameworks while offering rapid settlement and strong customer support are likely to gain traction in the Saudi remittance market.

The methodology behind these insights—Visa and Morning Consult’s joint survey conducted from January 2 to January 30, 2025—adds credibility to the observed trends. The research gathered responses from nearly 44,000 remittance senders and receivers across 20 countries, including the Middle East. This cross-country scope allows for nuanced comparisons across markets and helps identify common drivers and region-specific factors shaping digital remittance adoption. In Saudi Arabia, the combination of a large expatriate workforce, government initiatives to modernize payments infrastructure, and the growth of digital wallets and real-time transfer capabilities contributes to the observed shift toward digital remittance solutions. As digital ecosystems mature, the Kingdom’s remittance landscape is likely to continue evolving toward greater efficiency, lower costs, and more seamless cross-border experiences.

Subsection: Drivers of Digital Remittance Growth in Saudi Arabia

Several structural and consumer behavior factors converge to propel the digital remittance trend in Saudi Arabia. First, the expansion of digital banking and payment infrastructure, including mobile wallets and real-time transfer networks, reduces the friction and time required to initiate and complete cross-border transfers. The ability to initiate transfers directly from a mobile app, with instant notifications and transparent status updates, improves the user experience and fosters trust in digital channels. Second, the growing familiarity with online financial services, driven by widespread smartphone penetration and shifting consumer preferences toward digital transactions, sustains ongoing adoption. Third, the Saudi market’s emphasis on financial inclusion and government-backed digitization initiatives encourages households and expatriates to explore digital remittance options as part of a broader shift toward digitized life.

In terms of risk management and security, the industry emphasizes improved authentication methods, encryption standards, and anti-fraud measures to reassure users about the integrity of online transfers. The rise of real-time settlement capabilities means that funds can be made available to recipients faster than before, which is particularly valuable for families that depend on timely support for essential needs. The combination of speed, safety, and ease of use creates a compelling value proposition for digital remittance platforms, enabling a broader audience to participate in cross-border transfers and unlocking new segments of the market that previously relied on traditional, slower channels.

Subsection: Economic Impact and Regional Comparisons

Saudi Arabia’s expatriate remittance flows contribute significantly to the Kingdom’s international economic footprint. The SR144 billion remittance figure for 2024 demonstrates the scale of cross-border money movement associated with Saudi workers and residents who maintain financial ties with countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. This level of remittance activity supports families’ living expenses, education, healthcare, and housing in recipients’ home countries, reinforcing social and economic ties that extend beyond geography. When compared to other Gulf states and regional peers, Saudi Arabia’s digital shift in remittances showcases a broader trend toward digital financial services that is echoing across the region. The combination of a large expatriate population and a dynamic tech-enabled payments landscape positions Saudi Arabia as a critical market for global remittance networks and digital cross-border payment providers.

The cost dynamic in Saudi Arabia, while still a barrier for some users, appears to be gradually softening as digital channels become more competitive. The persistent concerns about fees demonstrate that providers must continue to refine pricing strategies and offer transparent fee disclosures. In a market where the value proposition includes speed and convenience, addressing cost sensitivities remains essential to maintaining momentum. The ongoing growth of digital remittances in Saudi Arabia illustrates the potential for continued expansion of cross-border payment services, particularly as more households and businesses adopt digital financial solutions and as regulatory frameworks mature to support secure, efficient, and cost-effective cross-border transfers.

Subsection: Future Outlook for Saudi Remittances

Looking forward, the Saudi remittance market is poised for continued digital acceleration. The combination of strong demand, expanding digital infrastructure, and ongoing consumer education is likely to drive higher adoption rates for digital remittance apps, wallets, and real-time transfer services. The anticipated benefits include faster settlement, improved recipient access, and greater transparency around fees and exchange rates. As more financial institutions and fintechs collaborate with banks to deliver end-to-end digital remittance experiences, competition will intensify, potentially leading to more favorable pricing and enhanced user experiences. The continued evolution of Saudi Arabia’s cross-border payment ecosystem will be influenced by regulatory developments, fintech innovation, and the continued emphasis on protecting consumers while enabling seamless, rapid transfers to the world’s remittance destinations.

Market Mechanics and Industry Response in the Gulf: Visa’s Role and Payment Innovation

Across the Gulf region, industry participants are embracing a suite of digital payment innovations to enhance cross-border money movement. Visa’s participation in the UAE and Saudi remittance markets is emblematic of a broader trend in which global payment networks deploy real-time transfer capabilities, digital wallet integrations, and mobile-centric payment strategies to meet growing consumer demand for speed, security, and convenience. The Visa Direct service enables real-time transfers to eligible cards, bank accounts, and digital wallets across the globe, expanding the set of destinations, recipients, and funding sources available to remittance senders. The initiative aligns with the needs of migrant workers and their families who require timely access to funds.

Another notable development is Visa’s introduction of Visa+, which simplifies international transfers by enabling transfers using just a mobile number. This innovation lowers the barriers to entry for new users who may not be comfortable sharing or managing bank account details and who prefer to transact with a familiar identifier such as a mobile phone number. The capability to initiate cross-border transfers via a mobile number can streamline onboarding for first-time remittance users, reduce administrative friction, and improve the overall transfer experience for senders who value simplicity and accessibility. In practice, these features contribute to faster, more reliable, and more user-friendly cross-border remittance processes, which in turn support higher adoption rates for digital channels.

The Gulf region’s remittance ecosystem benefits from collaboration between Visa, local financial institutions, and other fintech players. By combining Visa’s global network with the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s growing digital payments infrastructure, the market can offer enhanced transfer options, improved settlement times, and more transparent, trackable remittance flows. This collaborative approach is essential to delivering scalable, secure, and cost-effective cross-border remittance services that meet the expectations of digital-native users and more traditional remittance customers who are transitioning to digital channels.

In addition to technology platforms, the Gulf region’s remittance strategies are increasingly anchored in a broader vision of digital economy transformation. Governments, regulators, and financial institutions are working to modernize payment rails, foster financial inclusion, and encourage the use of digital wallets and real-time payments. The result is a more interconnected and resilient cross-border payments environment that supports not only the movement of funds but also the growth of digital financial ecosystems, including micro-savings, loan disbursements, and other value-added services that accompany remittance flows.

Subsection: Payment Innovation, Security, and User Trust

A core challenge in deploying digital remittance services at scale is maintaining security and preserving user trust. Digital channels are built on complex risk management frameworks, including multi-factor authentication, fraud monitoring, transaction screening, and secure data handling. As users become more comfortable with digital remittance, the focus on privacy and security becomes increasingly central to user retention. Providers must deliver robust security features without imposing friction that could slow or complicate the transfer process.

Another crucial dimension is user education. Even with intuitive interfaces and rapid settlement, users must understand how digital remittance platforms work, what fees apply, how exchange rates are determined, and how to track transfers. Financial literacy initiatives and clear, accessible information on pricing and service levels can help demystify digital remittance and empower users to make informed choices. When combined with strong customer support, transparent pricing, and reliable service levels, these elements reinforce confidence in digital remittance products and sustain long-term adoption.

Regional Context: Survey Depth, Scope, and Implications for Policy and Practice

The Visa and Morning Consult survey underpinning these insights spans January 2–30, 2025 and encompasses responses from nearly 44,000 remittance senders and receivers across 20 countries, including many in the Middle East. The cross-country nature of the study enables comparative analysis across regional markets while enabling policymakers and industry leaders to identify common themes and unique local dynamics. In the Middle East, the convergence of high diasporas, significant expatriate populations, and rapid digital payments adoption creates a fertile environment for digital remittance innovation. The Gulf states’ emphasis on modernization, financial inclusion, and consumer protection aligns with global trends toward real-time payments, digital wallets, and mobile-based money movement.

From a policy perspective, the findings highlight several implications for regulators, financial institutions, and technology providers. First, there is a clear need to balance the benefits of digital remittance speed and convenience with robust consumer protection measures, including transparent pricing and strong anti-fraud controls. Second, the persistent concern about fees suggests a potential role for policy interventions or market-driven pricing strategies that encourage competition while preserving the viability of remittance services. Third, the expansion of real-time transfer capabilities calls for ongoing investment in interoperable payment rails, standardized messaging formats, and secure data-sharing protocols that enable seamless cross-border transfers while protecting user privacy.

For banks and fintechs operating in the Gulf region, the evolving remittance landscape presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, digital channels open new revenue streams and enable more inclusive access to cross-border transfers for a broader audience. On the other hand, competition from fintechs and digital wallets can exert pressure on pricing, margins, and customer acquisition costs. As the market matures, successful operators are likely to emphasize customer-centric product design, competitive pricing, reliability, and transparent fee disclosures. Strategic partnerships, co-branding with banks, and collaboration with digital wallet networks can enhance reach and scalability, enabling remittance providers to capture incremental volumes while maintaining high service standards.

Subsection: Growth Opportunities and Risks

The Gulf region’s remittance market presents notable opportunities for growth driven by digitalization, market consolidation, and the expansion of international transfer capabilities. Digital remittance platforms can broaden financial inclusion by enabling unbanked or underbanked populations to participate in cross-border money movement through mobile phones and digital wallets. The potential to unlock seamless, real-time transfers with secure authentication has significant implications for household finance, education funding, healthcare payments, and small business financing in recipient countries. However, the rapid pace of digital transformation also carries risks, including cyber threats, data breaches, and the possibility of fraud if robust security measures are not in place. The necessity for ongoing cybersecurity investments and consumer education cannot be overstated.

For policymakers, the accelerating shift to digital remittances presents an opportunity to leverage digital finance for development goals. By promoting financial inclusion, reducing the cost of cross-border transfers, and enabling safer and more transparent remittance flows, governments can enhance the welfare of migrant workers and their families. This, in turn, supports broader social and economic objectives related to poverty reduction, education access, and healthcare outcomes in sending countries.

Methodology and Data Integrity: Survey Design and Interpretation

The insights discussed stem from a joint survey conducted by Visa and Morning Consult between January 2 and January 30, 2025. The study involved responses from nearly 44,000 remittance senders and receivers across 20 countries, with a focus on the Middle East and other key markets. The sample size and geographic spread provide a robust basis for identifying broad patterns in digital remittance adoption, while enabling cross-market comparisons of motivations, perceived benefits, and barriers. The methodology employs standardized questions to capture respondent opinions on ease of use, safety, privacy, speed, and cost-related concerns. The analysis also accounts for demographic variables where available, facilitating an understanding of how adoption may vary by age, income, and other factors.

As with any large-scale survey, there are limitations to consider. Respondent self-selection can introduce bias, and the reliance on self-reported behavior may differ from actual usage patterns. The study’s cross-sectional design captures a snapshot in time, which is valuable for trend identification but may not fully reflect dynamic shifts that occur as regulatory changes, pricing, and platform features evolve. Despite these caveats, the survey’s breadth—spanning 20 countries and nearly 44,000 respondents—provides meaningful insight into the current state of digital remittance adoption and offers a useful basis for stakeholders to gauge market momentum, identify pain points, and shape strategies for digital cross-border payments in the Gulf region and beyond.

Additionally, the Gulf region’s unique context—characterized by a large expatriate workforce, high mobile penetration, and rapid fintech adoption—means that the findings are particularly relevant for policymakers, financial institutions, and technology providers seeking to optimize cross-border remittance solutions. The data highlight where digital remittance platforms are succeeding (speed, accessibility, security) and where they still face challenges (fees, transparency). This knowledge can guide product development, pricing strategies, and customer education initiatives to further accelerate the adoption of digital remittance services, reduce costs for senders and recipients, and improve overall financial inclusion and resilience in the region.

Conclusion

The Visa Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report illuminates a decisive shift toward digital remittance channels in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, underscoring how digital platforms are reshaping cross-border money movement in the Gulf region. In the UAE, digital remittance adoption is firmly established, driven by perceived ease of use, safety, privacy, and faster processing, with nearly two-thirds of the population favoring digital solutions over physical remittance locations. The UAE’s status as the world’s third-largest remittance sender is reinforced by sustained demand for remittance services, robust growth projections, and ongoing efforts by Visa and local partners to expand real-time transfers and mobile-number-based solutions. While higher fees remain a notable challenge for a subset of users, the overall trajectory points toward a more efficient and inclusive remittance ecosystem supported by digital wallets, real-time rails, and trusted payment networks.

Saudi Arabia mirrors this digital shift with a substantial portion of the population preferring digital remittance channels. The combination of safety, privacy, speed, and ease of use demonstrates the appeal of digital platforms for cross-border transfers, while the release of large expatriate remittance volumes in 2024 signals sustained demand and potential for continued growth. The higher-frequency remittance activity—93 percent of respondents sending at least annually—coupled with strong digital adoption, positions Saudi Arabia as a critical driver of regional remittance trends. However, as fees continue to pose a barrier for both sending and receiving, industry stakeholders are called to address cost concerns through competitive pricing and transparent fee structures to sustain momentum and ensure equitable access to digital remittance services.

Visa’s role in the Gulf’s remittance landscape is emblematic of how global payment networks can catalyze regional innovation. By offering real-time transfers through Visa Direct, enabling mobile-number-based transfers via Visa+, and partnering with financial institutions and fintechs, Visa is expanding the reach and efficiency of cross-border remittances. These initiatives not only improve speed and usability but also bolster security and payment traceability—critical components of consumer trust in digital channels. As digital remittance ecosystems mature, collaboration among banks, fintechs, and regulators will be essential to sustaining growth, reducing costs, and enhancing financial inclusion for migrant workers and their families across the Gulf region and beyond.

The survey’s scope—covering 20 countries with almost 44,000 respondents—offers a robust view of how digital remittance adoption is evolving across different markets and underscores the Gulf’s central role in this global trend. The data reinforce the importance of continuing to innovate in payment rails, wallet integration, and user education while maintaining a sharp focus on cost transparency and security. Policymakers and industry players should consider how policy frameworks, pricing strategies, and technology investments can collectively strengthen cross-border remittance ecosystems, foster financial inclusion, and support the resilience of families who rely on timely, affordable, and secure remittance services.

In conclusion, the Gulf region is at the forefront of digital remittance adoption, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the way in shifting from traditional to digital-first cross-border transfers. The collaboration between Visa and local financial institutions, along with the deployment of advanced transfer technologies, is accelerating the availability of faster, safer, and more accessible remittance options for millions of senders and recipients. As digital remittance platforms continue to evolve, stakeholders must address cost concerns, ensure robust security, and promote financial literacy to maximize the positive impact of digital channels on families and communities across the region. The continued expansion of real-time transfer capabilities and mobile-number-based transfers holds promise for a more connected, efficient, and inclusive global remittance landscape.