What is the most convenient way to pay when travelling to Dubai/Saudi Arabia/Qatar?

When travelling in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, payment methods need to balance convenience and local customs. Here are detailed suggestions:

I. Cash (local currency)

1. significance::

   • Small transactions (bazaars/taxis, etc.) are generally cash only
   • Dubai: United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
   • Saudi Arabia: Saudi Riyal (SAR)
   • Qatar: Qatar Riyal (QAR)

2. Redemption Tips::

   • Poor exchange rate at the airport, suggest regular exchange offices or ATMs in the city to withdraw cash.
   • ATM preference is given to local banks such as Emirates NBD/NCB/QNB.

II. Credit Card Recommendations

1. best option::

   graph LR
   
   Preferred --> Visa/Mastercard Chip Card
   
   Second choice-->American Express (for high-end establishments)
   
   Avoid --> UnionPay Single Label (less than 60% coverage)
   
   
   
   

2. Scenario differences::

• Shopping malls/hotels: Accepts basically all international cards, and some support Apple Pay.
• traditional market:: Adequate cash reserves
• special attention: Some POS machines in Saudi Arabia still require signature confirmation

3. Handling fee reminder
   |Bank Type|Currency Conversion Charge|
   |—|—|
   |Domestic Issuing Banks|Usually 1.5%-2%|
   |Local Bank ATM Cash Withdrawal|Extra 3% Handling Charge

III. Status of Mobile Payments 2024 Update

1.Progress in the Gulf
- Saudi: STC Pay Penetration 45%
- UAE: Apple Pay covers 70% merchants 
- Qatar: Only large shopping centres support code-sweeping payment

2.practical skill

pie 

Percentage of mobile payment scenarios 

"Large shopping centres" :65 

"Taxi":10 

"Tickets to attractions":25 

IV. Special considerations

1.Religious factors
Cash transactions surge after 16:00 during Ramadan 300%

2.Anti-Fraud Tips
Be wary of the 'local card only' ruse and stick to international credit cards

3.Alternative programme
Suggested Carrying.
-$200 emergency cash 

V. Guide to detailed payment scenarios (continued)

1. Taxis & transport payments

• Dubai::
  • Careem/Uber (tied to an international credit card)
  • Ordinary taxis can take credit cards, but it's safer to have cash (some drivers only take AEDs)
• Saudi Arabia/Qatar::
  • Uber/Bolt available, but traditional taxis still cash-based

2. Restaurants & Tipping Culture

⚠️ take note ofSome local restaurants may have a minimum card amount (e.g. 50 AED/SAR) and cash is recommended for small purchases.

VI. Update on the use of UnionPay cards (latest data for 2024)

While Visa/Mastercard is still dominant, UnionPay is available in some scenarios:

• ✅ ATM cash withdrawal: Most bank ATMs support CUP (e.g. Emirates NBD, SABB) and the fee depends on the card issuer.
• ❌ merchant spending: Coverage is only about 40%, concentrated in shopping districts with a high number of Chinese tourists such as Dubai Mall.

💡 finesse: Download the "YunFlashPay" App to check nearby merchants that support UnionPay.

VII. Comparison of optimal methods of currency exchange

🔹 Hands-on advice::

1. For ATM cash withdrawals, choose "local banks" (avoid high-fee machines such as Euronet).
2. USD/EUR can be exchanged in the city at chain shops such as "Al Ansari Exchange".

viii. emergency standby programmes

1. 🆘 When faced with a declined credit card:

   • Check if it's a "local cards only" POS machine → Ask to manually enter the card number to complete the transaction.
   • Use Revolut/Wise multi-currency cards to avoid DCC dynamic currency conversion scams.

2. 💸 When cash is insufficient:

   • Some supermarkets in Saudi/Qatar offer cashback (e.g. Carrefour offers extra cash when spending 100 SAR or more).

📝 Ultimate Summary

flowchart TD

    A [pre-departure preparation] --> B (with Visa/Mastercard chip card + $200 emergency)

    A --> C (for mobile phone international roaming for OTP authentication)

    D [on arrival] --> E (ATM for small amount of local currency)

    D --> F (tied to Careem/Uber mobile payments) 

✅ optimal combination = "International Credit Card 70% + Local Cash 25% + Apple Pay/STC Pay5%