Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Consumers in Saudi Arabia are embracing artificial intelligence as part of their shopping journeys, with 90% of them using AI tools to assist with shopping, including comparing prices (63%), finding gift ideas (59%), and checking reviews or product ratings (53%), according to a recent study by Visa.
The annual Stay Secure study in Saudi Arabia assesses consumer awareness and behaviors around digital commerce and fraud, and highlights how AI-enabled shopping and social commerce are changing consumer behavior even as expectations around trust and protection remain firmly in place, Visa stated in a press release yesterday.
The study showed that 93% of Saudi consumers feel new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before. AI is also influencing discovery, with 57% typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online.
Consumers remain more cautious about AI handling transactions on their behalf. Only 33% would trust AI agents to complete checkout, reinforcing the importance of earning consumer trust in the age of agentic commerce.
Additionally, 61% of consumers feel AI has made scams easier to recognize today, and 84% believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future. These figures affirm that AI adoption grows as consumers increasingly view the technology as part of the solution to fraud.
Shopping through social platforms has become mainstream, with 73% of consumers in Saudi Arabia having purchased products directly via social media platforms.
When it comes to protecting against fraud while shopping online, consumers look first to institutions rather than themselves. 46% believe government authorities or regulators should be primarily responsible, followed by banks or financial institutions (40%) and payment providers (30%).
Dibyajyoti Sen, Head of Risk for GCC at Visa, said: “Visa’s Stay Secure study reveals that as online shopping and social commerce continue to accelerate, fraud and scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Consumers perceive fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but expect banks and payment providers to take the lead, highlighting the importance of secure-by-design payment systems.”
The Stay Secure study was commissioned by Visa and conducted by Wakefield Research from January to February, 2026. It involved a survey of 5,800 adults aged 18 years and older across 17 CEMEA markets, including Bahrain, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Ukraine, and the UAE.