Will Apple Pay, Google Pay work in Middle Eastern countries?
Apple Pay and Google Pay availability in the Middle East varies by country and bank partnership, here's the current status of support in key countries:
Apple Pay Middle East Support
-
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries::
- UAE: Full support (Emirates NBD, ADCB and other major banks).
- Saudi Arabia: Full support (Al Rajhi, Samba, etc.).
- Doha: Partial bank support (QNB, Commercial Bank).
- Kuwaiti: Limited support (local bank co-operation needs to be confirmed).
- Bahrain & Oman: Not yet officially opened.
-
Other Middle Eastern countries::
- Israeli: Opened.
- Non-Gulf States such as Lebanon/Jordan/Egypt: Usually not supported.
Google Pay Middle East Support
- GCC countries:
Similar to Apple Pay, but coverage may be less. Available at some banks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, for example. - NFC payments rely on localised solutions (e.g. the Saudi 'SAMA' system).
Key differences
- Apple Pay has a higher penetration rate at the top end of the market, and Google Pay is more friendly to Android users but limited by local payment habits.
- Local wallets are popular in some countries (e.g. Vodafone Cash in Egypt).
suggestion
- Apple users can try to bind the card first; Android users need to check whether the "Add card" option is shown in the GPay app.
- Contact your card issuer to confirm cross-border transaction privileges before travelling.
Data is subject to change and it is recommended to obtain the latest information through official channels.
Apple Pay and Google Pay Expansion and Usage Details in the Middle East
1. Apple Pay coverage update (2024 update)
✅ Supported countries/regions and major partner banks:
- United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Emirates NBD, ADCB, Mashreq Bank, RAKBANK
- Saudi Arabia (KSA) - Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi National Bank (SNB), Riyad Bank
- Doha - QNB (Qatar National Bank), Commercial Bank
- Kuwaiti - NBK (National Bank of Kuwait), Gulf Bank (some user reports available)
- Israeli - Hapoalim, Leumi and other major banks support it
❌ Markets that are not yet officially open but may expand in the future:
- Bahrain & Oman (some expatriates can be tied to international cards, but locally issued cards are restricted)
- Egypt & Lebanon (no official support yet, relies on cross-border payment solutions such as Visa/Mastercard's Tokenisation technology)
⚠️ take note of: Credit cards from certain banks may be supported earlier than debit cards. It is recommended to try to add the card directly in the iPhone "Wallet" App to confirm.
2. Differences in the applicability of Google Pay
Google Pay's functionality in the Middle East varies by region:
✅ Markets where NFC payments are available:
- UAE (Most of the big banks like ENBD, ADCB)
- KSA (Al Rajhi, SNB)
- Qatar (QNB)
🚫 GPay is only available in "contactless payment" or "P2P transfer" areas:
- Egypt / Jordan / Lebanon: GPay App can be installed, but NFC payments are not available; rely on local alternatives such as.
Egypt. Vodafone Cash / Meeza Card
Jordan. Orange Money
🔍 Validation MethodsOpen GPay App → "Payment Methods" → if it shows "Add Bank Card + Contactless Icon", then NFC payment is supported.
3. Key influencing factors
- [Regulatory policy]: Countries such as Saudi Arabia require localised storage of data, which can lead to delays in landing services.
- [Banking co-operation] Visa/Mastercard co-branded cards usually have better compatibility than local clearing networks.
- [Terminal penetration rate] : Non-contact payments are largely accepted by large supermarkets/taxis, but small merchants are still predominantly cash-based.
4. Alternative solutions
If Apple/Google Pay is not available:
📱Popular e-wallets in the Middle East.
|Countries |Mainstream Mobile Payments |
|———–|———————|
|Saudi Arabia |STC Pay, SAMA system |
|UAE |PayBy, Samsung Pay (some banks)|
|Egypt |Vodafone Cash |
💳 Travel advice.
- Apple users are given priority to bind to internationally issued Visa/Mastercard.
- Android users keep a physical chip card handy in case of GPay incompatibility
For updates, visit directly:Apple Pay Middle East page|List of banks supported by Google Play