Strong issuer participation in UAE reflects appetite for AI-driven innovations in commerce
- Visa Agentic Ready program enables banks and fintechs to safely test and scale new AI-powered commerce experiences
- Nearly 60% of UAE businesses express strong interest or are actively exploring agentic commerce use cases, according to study
Visa, a global leader in digital payments, announced the launch of its global Agentic Ready program in the United Arab Emirates, supporting the local industry’s appetite for advancing AI-driven commerce. This launch is part of a broader rollout of the Agentic Ready program across Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA).
Visa’s Agentic Ready program is designed to help financial institutions prepare for the next phase of commerce, where AI agents can help consumers discover, select and complete purchases on their behalf, while maintaining the highest levels of trust, control, and protections that underpin the Visa network.
In its first phase, Visa Agentic Ready enables issuers to test and validate agent-initiated transactions in a controlled, production-grade environment, helping them prepare for broader adoption as demand grows.
Leading financial institutions in the UAE have already joined the program, including Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), Al Ansari Exchange, Emirates Islamic, Emirates NBD, Mashreq, Tabby, Wio, and Ziina – reflecting the strength of the UAE dynamic payments ecosystem.
“In the UAE, we are seeing strong interest in how AI can enhance everyday commerce, alongside a clear focus on trust, security and real-world application.”
said Fadi Moukkadem, Visa’s SVP and Group Country Manager for UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.
“As AI becomes more embedded in everyday transactions, issuers will be central to building consumer confidence. Visa’s Agentic Ready program gives our partners a practical pathway to test and prepare for this next evolution.”
Visa’s approach builds on its long-standing role as a trusted payments network, combining capabilities such as secure digital credentials, identity solutions and risk controls to ensure that new technologies are introduced responsibly and at scale.
The rollout of Visa’s Agentic Ready program aligns with the UAE’s broader ambition to build a future-ready digital economy, supported by advanced infrastructure, innovation-friendly regulation, and a continued push towards a more cashless society.
Strong Market Demand for AI-Driven Commerce in the UAE
New research conducted by Fast Company Middle East in partnership with Visa highlights the growing appetite among UAE businesses for AI-powered commerce solutions:
- Nearly 60% express strong interest or are actively exploring agentic commerce use cases.
- UAE businesses see agentic commerce as a growth engine rather than a cost-cutting tool, with 33% of those surveyed prioritizing customer loyalty and retention, and 28% for revenue growth
Scaling the Future of Commerce
Visa is working with financial institutions, technology partners and ecosystem stakeholders across the region to enable secure, AI-driven commerce experiences.
The Agentic Ready program marks an important step in that journey, helping partners build the capabilities and safeguards needed to support the next generation of payments, with early adoption led by the UAE and momentum building across the wider region.
