Rate of Payments Made by Smart Devices in Saudi Arabia Sees 500% Surge

FILE PHOTO: Visa credit cards are seen in this picture illustration taken June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Visa credit cards are seen in this picture illustration taken June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev/Illustration/File Photo
TT
20

Rate of Payments Made by Smart Devices in Saudi Arabia Sees 500% Surge

FILE PHOTO: Visa credit cards are seen in this picture illustration taken June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Visa credit cards are seen in this picture illustration taken June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev/Illustration/File Photo

The executive director of Saudi Payments, a Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) subsidiary, revealed on Tuesday that significant growth has been registered in the number of payments made using smart devices.

Figures show a 500% surge, Fahd Al-Akeel confirmed, adding that over 9,000 online stores now support payments made by the kingdom’s “Mada” service.

Al-Akeel added that point of sale operations grew by 76% with Mada’s e-commerce operations more than doubling in size.

Saudi Arabia, according to Al-Akeel, is the fastest growing in the world in terms of the number of points of sale during the period from 2012 to 2019. The kingdom registered a compound annual growth rate of 23%.

It is noteworthy that the expansion of the infrastructure for digital payments in Saudi Arabia has led to a steady and remarkable growth in the volume of digital transactions.

Al-Akeel noted that Saudi Payments is working to benefit from the economic opportunities available in the kingdom to enhance the role of digital payments in achieving economic development, and to facilitate the movement of trade exchange by developing an infrastructure for safe, reliable and consensual payment systems that enable banks and fintech companies to innovate products and services that contribute to easing and expediting financial transactions between companies, government agencies and individuals.

Saudi Payments is a major contributor to achieving the objectives of the Financial Sector Development Program, which is a part of the national plan for transformation Vision 2030.

As a subsidiary of SAMA, Saudi Payments is considered a key player in achieving the program’s objectives, which include an initiative to reduce the Saudi society’s dependency on cash and increase the proportion of digital financial transactions.



Saudi Arabia Maintains Top Global Ranking in Cybersecurity Index

The pavilion of the National Cybersecurity Authority at the World Defense Show 2024 (SPA)
The pavilion of the National Cybersecurity Authority at the World Defense Show 2024 (SPA)
TT
20

Saudi Arabia Maintains Top Global Ranking in Cybersecurity Index

The pavilion of the National Cybersecurity Authority at the World Defense Show 2024 (SPA)
The pavilion of the National Cybersecurity Authority at the World Defense Show 2024 (SPA)

Saudi Arabia has retained its position as the world’s leading nation in the Cybersecurity Index, according to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025 released by the World Competitiveness Center of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland.

Commenting on the achievement, Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, and Chairman of the National Cybersecurity Authority, said this accomplishment adds to the Kingdom’s series of successes across all fields.

He attributed the progress to the leadership’s proactive vision in establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity sector, encompassing both security and development dimensions, at local and international levels.

Al-Aiban noted that Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity ecosystem has undergone remarkable progress in a short span since the creation of the National Cybersecurity Authority and the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), which serves as its strategic and technical partner.

Together, these two pillars form the foundation of the Kingdom’s cybersecurity model, which has strengthened national cyber resilience, advanced technological sovereignty, localized critical technologies, and bolstered information sharing and international cooperation.

The National Cybersecurity Authority is the central entity responsible for cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia and the national reference for all related affairs. Its mandate is to safeguard vital interests, critical infrastructure, and national security.

It also aims to drive the growth of the cybersecurity sector, promote innovation and investment, and establish policies, governance mechanisms, frameworks, standards, controls, and guidelines. These efforts are designed to create a secure and reliable Saudi cyberspace that enables economic growth and prosperity.