Do countries in the Middle East support Alipay and WeChat payments?

May, Fri, 2025
deekpay
Middle East Payments

Do countries in the Middle East support Alipay and WeChat payments? A comprehensive analysis of the current state of mobile payments in the Arab region

As economic and trade exchanges between China and the Middle East grow closer, Alipay and WeChat Pay, two Chinese mobile payment giants, have begun to lay out their presence in the Middle East market. This article will analyse in detail the support for Alipay and WeChat Pay in the Middle East to help merchants and tourists understand the mobile payment environment in the region.

i. gulf states: progressively opening markets

1. United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi)

As the financial centre of the Middle East, the UAE has the highest acceptance of mobile payments. Currently, major shopping districts such as Dubai International Airport and Dubai Mall have access to Alipay, and some merchants support WeChat Pay. Local banks such as Mashreq Bank have entered into co-operation with Alipay.

2. Saudi Arabia

In 2019 Saudi Arabia's central bank approved Alipay's operating licence, which can be used in venues such as duty-free shops at Riyadh airport. However, popularity remains limited due to localised policy requirements (e.g. data storage).2023 WeChat Pay is expanding its application scenarios with the signing of a cooperation agreement with Saudi Telecom.

3. Qatar

Alipay service is available at Doha International Airport duty-free shops and some five-star hotels. Due to the high popularity of Visa/Mastercard, it is less used by local residents and is mainly for Chinese tourists.

II. Non-Gulf States: differentiated development

1. Egypt

In 2022, the Central Bank of Egypt approved WeChat Pay's local operation, making it the first North African country to officially launch the service. It is currently used mainly in Chinese shopping centres and areas where Chinese tourists gather.

2. Turkey
Istanbul Grand Bazaar and other tourist hotspots 90% or more merchants accept Alipay, tax refund service can be refunded directly to the account, is the closest connection with Europe in the Middle East market.

III. Analysis of constraints

1.Religious and cultural factors:: Slow acceptance of the "cashless society" in some conservative areas
2.Financial regulatory barriers: Most countries require localised storage of transaction data
3.Competition of alternatives: Domestic platforms such as STC Pay (Saudi Arabia) and Beam (UAE) are dominant

IV. Projections of future trends

According to a McKinsey report, digital wallet penetration in the Middle East will reach 35% by 2025.With the deepening of the Belt and Road co-operation.

Key Breakthrough Areas: Cross-border e-commerce settlement
Key growth points: Cross-border payment needs during the Hajj pilgrimage
Direction of technology integration:
① Islamic Finance Compliance Transformation
②Oil Trade RMB Settlement Package

Recommended for companies planning to enter the Middle East market:
✓ Prioritise international cities such as Dubai/Doha for pilots
✓ Preparation of a dual-track programme (simultaneous support for local Pay + Chinese wallets)
✓ Pay special attention to VAT withholding provisions in GCC countries

For country-specific POS access guidelines or the latest rate policies, follow our subsequent Middle East eWhite Paper.

V. Alipay and WeChat Pay access details for Middle East countries

1. UAE (Dubai & Abu Dhabi) - the most mature market for mobile payments

As the financial and tourism centre of the Middle East, the UAE has the highest acceptance of Alipay and WeChat payments.

Main Support Scenarios::
- Dubai International Airport Duty Free(Alipay+ Co-operative Merchants)
- Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and other large shopping centres(Some luxury shops support code-sweeping payment)
- Hotel & Catering: High-end venues such as the Atlantis and Sailing Hotels have access to Alipay
Local banking co-operation: Mashreq Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with Alipay to allow local merchants to set up cash collection services.

🔹 Summary of the current situation: Suitable for Chinese tourists and high-spending scenarios, but cash or credit cards are still the mainstay for everyday small transactions.

2. Saudi Arabia - policy in the process of gradual liberalisation

Saudi Arabia has been promoting a "cashless society" in recent years and has eased restrictions on international payment platforms.

Key progress in 2023:
① STC Pay (Saudi Telecom's e-wallet) and WeChat Pay open up cross-border remittances;
② Riyadh Park Shopping Centre piloted the "code shopping" function;
③Alipay can be used for quick settlement at some designated shops during the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah.

⚠️ caveat: Due to strict data compliance requirements, individual users are required to bind a local bank card in order to use the full functionality.

3. Qatar - World Cup accelerates mobile payment popularity

Thanks to the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has accelerated the introduction of international e-wallets:
✅ Alipay covers duty free shops above 80% at Doha Airport;
✅ Some of the stalls in the Souq Waqif traditional market support WeChat payments;
❌ VISA is still the dominant method, and small shops still require cash transactions.

VII. [Practical advice] How to use the two main payment tools in the Middle East?
1️⃣ Pre-trip preparation.
-Download the latest version of APP and complete the real-name authentication; -Download the latest version of APP and complete the real-name authentication.
-Enable the foreign secret-free payment function (smoother within $500 single limit).

2️⃣ Spending Tips.
✔ Preference is given to merchants labelled with the 'Alipay/WeChat' logo; ✔ Preference is given to merchants labelled with the 'Alipay/WeChat' logo.
✔ Ask for exclusive exchange rate discounts on large purchases (usually better than swiping your card 5%-8%)

3️⃣ What to do if you have a problem?
→Contact Customer Service Path.
☎️Alipay Overseas Hotline +86 571 2688
💬WeChat Pay Help Centre → 'Cross-border Service Line'

VIII. Ultimate Conclusion:Who is the best person to use it?
✓ Short-term travellers (Dubai/Doha) > Long-term workers
✓ B2C e-commerce sellers > traditional foreign trade enterprises
✓ HNWIs (luxury goods/property investment) > ordinary consumers

As the internationalisation of RMB accelerates, it is expected that more Middle Eastern banks will connect directly to the Chinese system by 2025, and the experience will be greatly enhanced by then!

Do countries in the Middle East support Alipay and WeChat payments?