Payments and e-commerce in Qatar

According to a report by Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce, Qataris spend more online, per capita, than the citizens of any other country in the Middle East [1]. The country also has the fastest average Internet speed in the region [1]. And between 2022 and 2025, the country’s e-commerce market is expected to grow at a rate of around 15% a year [2].

For the region, the country has a high rate of financial inclusion. Almost 70% of Qataris have a bank account. But that still leaves many consumers reliant on alternative and locally preferred Qatari payment methods. The country’s government is heavily promoting digital and cashless payment, with the first local digital-payment licenses issued in the summer of 2022 [3].

1. Report on E-Commerce in the State of Qatar “Challenges & Solutions”, Qatar Chamber of Commerce, August 2021
2. https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/qatar
3. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/08/qatar-issues-first-digital-payment-licenses-fintech-providers