UAE Consumers Among World’s Most Digitally Engaged Despite High Cybersecurity Concerns, Reveals IDEMIA Secure Transactions Study
New IPSOS BVA global study paints a striking picture: despite being among the most enthusiastic adopters of digital services, 63% of Emiratis declare having already experienced hacking or data theft, being one of the highest level of concern in the world.
14 July 2026, Dubai, UAE: The IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) study, conducted across 11 countries with more than 3 300 respondents[1], highlights a challenge for the digital economy. The rapid evolution of digital technologies is creating a growing gap between adoption and understanding. In the UAE, where digital transformation is advancing rapidly across payments, connectivity and digital services, trust is becoming a defining factor in how consumers engage with technology.
The findings arrive at a pivotal moment for the UAE. The country’s National Cyber Security Strategy (2025–2031) is now in force, the Central Bank has mandated the elimination of SMS-based one-time passwords for financial transactions, and a newly enacted financial regulatory framework under Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025 has broadened oversight to cover fintechs, digital wallets, and payment service providers. Against this backdrop, IDEMIA Secure Transactions’ report offers a rare consumer-level view of how people in the UAE are experiencing and responding to these shifts.
Key findings in the UAE
- 97% of UAE residents report high digital usage
- 63% of UAE residents have experienced hacking or data theft (vs. 38% global average).
- 32% say these incidents resulted in direct financial consequences, more than double the global average.
- 71% are concerned about personal data theft through cyberattacks or hacking
- 86% would be interested in using their physical payment card as a strong authentication method to verify their identity online.
Digital adoption remains strong despite important cyber concerns
The UAE continues to stand out as one of the world’s most digitally engaged markets. Nearly all respondents (97%) describe themselves as frequent users of digital tools and services, while 79% say they do everything they can online or on their smartphone. This reflects the country’s rapid digital transformation across payments, connectivity and online services.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the risks associated with a highly connected world. The study reveals that 63% of UAE respondents have already experienced hacking or data theft, significantly above the global average (38%), while 32% report that these incidents resulted in direct financial consequences. Yet rather than slowing digital adoption, these concerns are reshaping expectations. Consumers increasingly expect security to be built into the services they use, without compromising convenience or user experience.
Trust is becoming a key differentiator for digital services
Cybersecurity is no longer viewed as a technical feature, but as a core component of digital trust. 40% of UAE respondents cite security as the primary criterion when choosing between digital services, ahead of many traditional user experience considerations.
The research highlights awareness of emerging threats. Artificial intelligence is widely perceived as making cyberattacks more sophisticated (61%), while quantum computing is beginning to enter public discussions around the future of cybersecurity. Among respondents familiar with quantum computing, 83% already see it as a potential cybersecurity threat, highlighting growing awareness that the security landscape is evolving rapidly.
Security expectations are extending to payments and digital services
Despite concerns around cyber threats, UAE consumers largely embrace digital payments and connected services. What is changing is not the pace of adoption, but the expectations attached to these services.
Consumers are showing particularly strong interest in features that provide greater visibility, control and protection. For example, 85% would like to view all websites and applications linked to their payment card directly from their banking app, while 86% would be interested in using their physical payment card as a strong authentication method for online identity verification. The findings reinforce a broader trend observed globally: security is increasingly becoming part of the expected user experience rather than an optional add-on.
“The UAE is one of the world’s most advanced digital economies, and its consumers are demonstrating that trust and innovation must evolve together. As a company securing billions of digital interactions every year, we see firsthand at IDEMIA Secure Transactions how expectations around trust and security are evolving. As digital ecosystems become increasingly connected and emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing reshape the cybersecurity landscape, building trust will become one of the defining challenges of the digital economy,” commented Marc BERTIN, CTO at IDEMIA Secure Transactions.
As a global provider of secure payment, connectivity and cybersecurity solutions, IST works with financial institutions, telecom operators, automotive and IoT manufacturers, as well as digital service providers worldwide to secure interactions at scale. The study reflects IST’s broader commitment to understanding how trust, security and emerging technologies are shaping the future of digital services.
The report also underscores the importance of secure-by-design technologies such as encryption, authentication and tokenization, which help strengthen trust while maintaining seamless user experiences.
About IDEMIA Group
IDEMIA Group is a global technology leader with more than 10,700 employees worldwide. Its two market-leading divisions deliver mission-critical solutions that simplify and secure interactions in the physical and digital realms:
- IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) is the leading technology provider making it safer and easier to pay and connect. With unmatched expertise in cryptography and credential issuance, IST is trusted by over 2000 financial institutions, mobile operators, automotive manufacturers, and IoT providers worldwide. Every day, IST secures billions of essential transactions, ensuring the highest levels of data protection and convenience.
- IDEMIA Public Security (IPS) is a trusted provider of government-grade and secure biometric-based solutions for 600 government, state and federal agencies. With decades of experience in biometric technologies, IPS enables safer, frictionless and fairer ways to secure travel, access and citizen protection.
For more information, please visit www.idemia.com.
Press contacts
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[1] The IPSOS BVA survey for IDEMIA Secure Transactions was conducted between February and March 2026 in France, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, The United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, over more than 3300 persons aged 15 and over. The survey’s representativeness was ensured through the quota method. Samples in each country were weighted according to gender, age and region.