Visa Insights Reveal Winter Spending in United Arab Emirates Grows 30%

Local travel demand strengthened, as staycations increased ~35% for Visa premium cards.
Inbound travel spend increased, with Europe visitors up ~50% for Visa premium cards.

Dubai, 2 February: Visa, a global leader in digital payments, today released its latest consumer spending insights for the 2025 winter holiday period in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), based on the Visa Consulting & Analytics Retail Spend Monitor. The data shows a 30% year-over-year increase in winter spending on Visa premium consumer cards, reflected in more staycations, increased travel activity, and higher dining and leisure spend.

Highlights of the seasonal spending trends from the month of December 2025 include:

Inbound Travel

Spending by international visitors (using Visa premium cards) to the UAE increased, with visitors from Europe — particularly the UK, France, Germany, and Poland — rose ~50%. Meanwhile, spending by visitors from Asia (Thailand, Philippines) and Latin America (Brazil, Puerto Rico) increased over 145%.

Outbound Travel

Complementing inbound activity, international travel spending from the UAE on Visa premium consumer cards increased ~35%. Travel to Asian destinations — namely Thailand, Japan, and China — increased by over 75%. Booking patterns also varied, with most travelers (75%) booking within a month of travel and 25% planning 1-6 months in advance. In addition, dining and leisure spending grew ~45% among outbound travelers using Visa premium cards.

Local Spending

While international travel saw sustained growth, domestic spending in the UAE among Visa premium cardholders remained strong, with staycations up ~35% and luxury retail purchases, including apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, and precious stones, rising 35%.

F1 Weekend

During the F1 race weekend in Abu Dhabi between December 5-7, spending by visitors from Europe (Visa premium and non-premium cards) grew ~25% compared with over 10% on other December weekends.

Salima Gutieva, Vice President and Country Manager for Visa in UAE, said, “This winter holiday season has seen strong growth in travel, leisure and luxury retail spending, with more travelers choosing the UAE as a destination and residents continuing to enjoy local experiences. These insights present opportunities for businesses to deliver personalized and seamless commerce experiences that meet evolving consumer expectations.”

The VCA Retail Spend Monitor was produced by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), capturing total retail, travel, and experience-related activity during the winter holiday season (December 1–31, 2025), based on a subset of VisaNet data and complemented by survey-based estimates for other payment methods.

Nicolas Khoury, SVP, Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, CEMEA, said: “Our VCA Retail Spend Monitor shows how this winter holiday season is shaping consumer behavior across travel and commerce experiences. Insights into spending trends help issuers and merchants design relevant offers and enhance engagement. At Visa Consulting & Analytics, we turn these insights into actionable strategies that help businesses respond effectively to changing behaviors.”

About Visa’s Retail Spend Monitor

The Retail Spend Monitor provides insights on national retail sales across all payment types. The findings are based on a subset of aggregate retail sales activity in the Visa payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for other forms of payment. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into consumer spending behaviors and trends, aiding retailers in strategic planning and market positioning. Premium card definition — Following cards are mapped under Premium category: VISA SIGNATURE, VISA SIGNATURE PREFERRED, VISA INFINITE, VISA INFINITE PRIVILEGE, VISA ULTRA HIGH NET WORTH

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

The views, opinions, and/or estimates, as the case may be (“views”), expressed herein are those of the Visa Consulting and Analytics team and do not necessarily reflect those of Visa executive management or other Visa employees and affiliates. This content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for operational, marketing, legal, technical, tax, financial or other advice and do not in any way reflect actual or forecasted Visa operational or financial performance. Visa neither makes any warranty or representation as to the completeness or accuracy of the views contained herein, nor assumes any liability or responsibility that may result from reliance on such views. These views are often based on current market conditions and are subject to change without notice.

Media Contact

Khaled Al Khatib
+971 52 863 1390
[email protected]