Local relationships and locally savvy partners are crucial for global payment firms venturing into the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan (MENAP) region. First, payment methods vary per country and local payment methods often reign supreme. Granular data shows that co-existing nationalities and expat communities across the GCC have distinct online purchasing behaviours and habits. Getting the partnerships right is key to potentially unlocking a lucrative market with e-commerce and digital payments set to accelerate in the coming years. The Checkout.com Connected Payments in MENAP report (September 2020) revealed that the region, historically dominated by cash payments, presents a significant growth opportunity for the digital payments industry as the region’s online shoppers now prefer using digital payments rather than paying by cash on delivery.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 31, 2021 08:15 UTC