Dublin, Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Middle East Gift Card Business and Investment Opportunities Databook – 90+ KPIs on Gift Card Market Size, Retail & Corporate Spend, Competitive Landscape, and Consumer Demographics – Q1 2026 Update” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The Gift Card market in the Middle East is expected to grow by 9.8% on annual basis to reach US$9.6 billion in 2026. The gift card market in the region has experienced robust growth during 2021-2025, achieving a CAGR of 10.5%. This upward trajectory is expected to continue, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2026-2030. By the end of 2030, the Gift Card sector is projected to expand from its 2025 value of USD 8.7 billion to approximately USD 13.6 billion.
Competition will increasingly center on B2B issuance (employee rewards, payouts, customer incentives) and distribution access (telcos, wallets, large retailers, mall ecosystems). Expect payments-grade controls (fraud, velocity checks, tokenized delivery) to become a differentiator, favoring players tightly integrated with issuers and embedded-finance providers. The GCC is likely to see more Visa/Mastercard-powered, multi-merchant constructs (mall networks and large retail groups), while KSA’s landscape should intensify around enterprise incentives and “gift cards as payout rails.”
Current State of the Market
- Competitive intensity is highest in the GCC, where gift cards are moving from “retail SKU” to payments-enabled distribution (API issuance, instant delivery, multi-brand catalogs) and mall-wide closed-loop programs.
- The market is now shaped by three overlapping layers: (1) retailers/malls issuing closed-loop value, (2) digital gift-card marketplaces aggregating brands for consumers and enterprises, and (3) fintech/payment enablers providing regulated rails (card issuance, tokenization, KYC/AML where relevant).
Key Players and New Entrants
- Digital marketplaces/incentive platforms: YOUGotaGift (consumer and business use cases, GCC footprint) and Resal (Saudi-led digital cards/rewards ecosystem).
- Retail & mall issuers: Line Investments & Property (LuLu Group’s mall arm) is pushing a mall-centric model in the UAE through a Visa-powered card proposition.
- Enablers (infrastructure): NymCard is an embedded-finance layer increasingly visible in gifting-linked issuance programs, backed by recent capital to scale regional payment infrastructure.
- Cross-border digital gifting/recharge players, such as Prepay Nation, are partnering with regional telcos to expand distribution of “digital gifting.”
Recent Launches, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Launch (UAE): Line Investments & Property launched LAKA, a Visa-powered gift card solution across its mall network, with NymCard referenced in coverage and partner communications.
- Partnership (Oman / cross-border gifting): Prepay Nation + Vodafone Oman signals telco-led routes for gifting/recharge products, a channel that can expand into broader stored-value gifting.
- M&A: No region-defining gift-card M&A has been consistently visible in public reporting in the last 12 months; competitive change is currently driven more by platform launches and funding-led scaling than by consolidation.
Shift gift cards from physical products to digital distribution rails
- Gift cards in the UAE are increasingly issued, distributed, and redeemed digitally, with reduced reliance on physical cards. Retailers and platforms are positioning gift cards as instant digital value instruments delivered through apps, email, and wallets rather than in-store SKUs. Examples include Amazon.ae expanding the denominations and delivery options for digital gift cards, and Noon promoting app-based gift cards integrated into its broader commerce ecosystem.
- High smartphone penetration and habitual app-based commerce in the UAE. Retailers seeking lower operational complexity versus physical card inventory. Consumer preference for instant gifting aligned with last-minute and remote gifting behaviors common among expatriate populations.
- Digital gift cards will become the default format, with physical cards retained mainly for premium or in-mall use cases. Distribution will increasingly shift toward platform ecosystems rather than standalone retailer channels. Breakage management and fraud controls will become more central operational considerations.
Use gift cards as controlled-value instruments for corporate and institutional spend
- In Saudi Arabia, gift cards are being adopted as controlled-value tools for corporate rewards, employee incentives, and programmatic disbursements, rather than solely for discretionary consumer gifting. Retailers and platforms offer bulk issuance and reporting features tailored for enterprises. Examples include Jarir Bookstore and Extra Stores, which promote gift cards for corporate procurement, recognition programs, and seasonal incentive campaigns.
- Large-scale workforce incentive programs linked to Saudization and enterprise HR transformation. Preference for prepaid, capped-value instruments over cash-equivalent rewards for governance and auditability. Alignment with broader digitization of procurement and employee benefit workflows.
- Corporate and B2B gift card volumes will grow faster than consumer gift card volumes. Custom-denomination and restricted-category gift cards will become more common. Retailers without enterprise-facing issuance capabilities risk exclusion from large-volume programs.
Embed gift cards inside retail and digital-service ecosystems rather than standalone products
- Gift cards in Qatar are increasingly positioned as ecosystem components, usable across multiple services or retail touchpoints rather than single-purpose items. Retail groups are linking gift cards to malls, entertainment venues, and lifestyle services.
- For example, Alshaya Group continues to support multi-brand gift cards across its Qatar retail portfolio, allowing redemption across fashion, dining, and specialty retail under one balance.
- Concentrated retail ownership structures that allow cross-brand redemption. Consumer preference for flexibility in small, high-income markets with limited store density. Retail groups are seeking to keep prepaid value circulating within their own ecosystems.
- Single-brand gift cards will increasingly coexist with group-level instruments. Closed-loop ecosystems will capture a higher share of prepaid spend. Regulatory clarity around stored value will shape how broadly these cards can be redeemed.
Position gift cards as substitutes for cash in mass-market gifting and remittances
- In Egypt, gift cards are being used as cash-adjacent instruments for gifting, promotions, and informal transfers, particularly for digital services and everyday consumption categories. Telecom and digital platforms are central to this shift. Examples include Vodafone Egypt and Orange Egypt, where prepaid vouchers and digital gift cards are widely used for gifting airtime, data, and digital services.
- High familiarity with prepaid value due to telecom-led distribution. Consumer sensitivity to cash handling and preference for purpose-bound value. Retailers are using gift cards to drive spend toward specific categories without offering discounts.
- Gift cards will remain tightly linked to essential and digital services rather than luxury gifting. Telecom and wallet platforms will dominate distribution over traditional retail. The line between gift cards and prepaid vouchers will continue to blur.
A Bundled Offering, Combining the Following 6 Reports, Covering 700+ Tables and 1,700+ Figures for the Gift Card Market
- Middle East Gift Card Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook
- Iran Gift Card Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook
- Israel Gift Card Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook
- Saudi Arabia Gift Card Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook
- Turkey Gift Card Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook
- United Arab Emirates Gift Card Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook
Key Attributes:
| Report Attribute | Details |
| No. of Pages | 1920 |
| Forecast Period | 2026 – 2030 |
| Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2026 | $9.6 Billion |
| Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 | $13.6 Billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate | 9.2% |
| Regions Covered | Middle East |
Companies Featured
- A101
- Abdullah AlOthaim
- Al Nahdi
- Al-Dawaa Pharmacies
- Amazon
- BIM
- Be (Shufersal’s Drugstore)
- Canbo
- CarrefourSA
- Castro
- Choithrams
- Cohen Sales Warehouses
- Danube
- Digikala
- Digistyle
- Dubai Duty Free
- Electra Consumer Products
- ETKA / EtkaLine
- HyperPanda
- Hyperstar Iran
- Ikea
- Jarir
- LC Waikiki
- LuLu Hypermarket
- Majid Al-Futtaim
- Mall Gift Cards
- MediaMarkt
- Merav – Mazon Kol
- Migros
- OKala
- Ofogh Koorosh
- Panda
- Rami Levy
- Refah Chain Stores
- Sharaf DG
- Shahrvand
- Sok Marketler
- Snapp Market
- Spinneys
- Super-Pharm
- Tamimi Markets
- Teknosa
- Tiv Taam
- Victory
- Virgin Megastore
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5k7gsg
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- Middle Eastern Gift Card Market
