On the other hand, buying products on social media has also increased, with 69 per cent of UAE consumers having purchased directly through social media platforms.
The vast majority of residents in the UAE use artificial intelligence to help them shop online, including checking reviews or product ratings. A new study by the credit card company Visa shows that 85 per cent of UAE consumers have used AI tools to shop, while 93 per cent said they feel AI-powered tools make online shopping faster and easier.
In its yearly ‘Stay Secure’ study, which assesses consumer behaviour around e-commerce and fraud, the results showed that people are increasingly turning to AI tools to check product reviews or ratings (60 per cent), compare prices (59 per cent), and find gift ideas (55 per cent).
AI is also influencing discovery, with 60 per cent of consumers typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online.
At the same time, consumers are more cautious when it comes to AI handling payments on their behalf. As per the study, only 32 per cent would trust AI agents to complete checkout.
When it comes to fraud, AI adoption is increasingly seen as the part of the solution to combat it, according to Visa. 57 per cent feel that AI has made scams easier to recognize today, while 85 per cent believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future.
Growing scam risks
On the other hand, buying products on social media has also increased, with 69 per cent of UAE consumers having purchased directly through social media platforms.
This has brought with it more fraud risks, with 46 per cent of consumers reporting a financial scam in the past year.
Among those who have experienced a scam, 38 per cent report the incident occurred on social media, more than those who encounter scams on other platforms such as websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps.
Children are especially vulnerable to online scams, which is something the report highlighted. 80 per cent of consumers reported that children in their lives struggle to recognize scams. A significant 67 per cent have seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online.
That concern comes as children gain greater access to digital commerce. 33 percent of parents in the UAE have children who can access mobile payment apps or digital wallets.
“As commerce moves toward more AI-powered and agentic experiences, consumers are embracing the convenience AI can bring to shopping but remain sceptical about AI completing purchases on their behalf,” Dibyajyoti Sen, Head of Risk at GCC Visa, said.
With Visa Intelligent Commerce, we are enabling the next era of commerce built on trust, control and confidence.”
