AI knows you better than your family: Here’s what UAE shopping habits revealed
AI-enabled shopping and social commerce are rapidly reshaping how consumers browse, compare, and buy products online
11 June, 2026
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The UAE is emerging as one of the world’s most advanced testbeds for artificial intelligence in everyday shopping, with new data suggesting consumers are increasingly outsourcing not just product discovery, but decision-making itself to AI tools.
According to Visa’s annual Stay Secure study, released on June 9 in the UAE and conducted by Wakefield Research, AI-enabled shopping and social commerce are rapidly reshaping how consumers browse, compare, and buy products online. The study shows that digital convenience is now deeply embedded in consumer behaviour, but trust boundaries remain uneven when it comes to letting machines complete transactions.
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At the same time, a separate study from Checkout.com highlights an even more striking shift: in the UAE, trust in AI agents is not only growing faster than in other markets, but in some cases is surpassing trust in human judgment altogether.
Together, the findings point to a fast-accelerating transition toward “agentic commerce”, where AI systems act not just as assistants, but as autonomous shopping agents making decisions on behalf of consumers.
From product search to AI-driven decision making
Visa’s research shows that AI has already become a mainstream shopping companion in the UAE.
Around 85 per cent of consumers say they have used AI tools to assist with shopping activities. These include checking product reviews or ratings (60 per cent), comparing prices (59 per cent), and finding gift ideas (55 per cent), according to a WAM report.
The data suggests that AI is no longer a niche tool but a default layer in the digital shopping journey.
Visa notes that 93 per cent of respondents believe new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before. Meanwhile, 60 per cent of consumers say they regularly discover new brands or retailers while shopping online, reinforcing the role of AI in shaping discovery and demand.
However, while AI is widely used as a guide, consumers are still cautious about handing over full control. Only 32 per cent of UAE respondents say they would trust AI agents to complete checkout on their behalf, highlighting a clear gap between assistance and autonomy.
Trust surpasses family in AI shopping decisions
If Visa’s data shows growing comfort with AI-assisted shopping, Checkout.com’s findings suggest something far more disruptive: a reordering of trust itself.
According to its report Agentic Commerce 2026: The State of Consumer Demand and Merchant Readiness, 79 per cent of UAE consumers feel comfortable letting an AI complete a purchase for them. More strikingly, nearly two-thirds, 64 per cent, say they would trust an AI shopping agent more than their own family members when making shopping decisions.
The implication is significant: AI is increasingly being viewed not just as a tool, but as a superior decision-maker in specific contexts like shopping.
That trust extends into areas traditionally considered highly personal. The study finds that 64 per cent of respondents believe AI shopping agents would pick clothing that suits them better than they could choose themselves. Meanwhile, 24 per cent are comfortable sharing sensitive financial data such as salary, disposable income, and real-time bank balances with an AI system, and 19 per cent would allow access to their personal calendars.
Even brand loyalty appears negotiable. Around 71 per cent of UAE consumers say they would allow AI agents to switch preferred brands or substitute products if better value is found.
The rise of social commerce and embedded risk
As AI reshapes discovery and decision-making, social platforms are becoming a dominant shopping channel.
Visa’s research shows that 69 per cent of UAE consumers have already purchased products directly through social media platforms. However, this shift has also expanded exposure to fraud.
Nearly 46 per cent of respondents say they have experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. Of those affected, 38 per cent report the incident occurred on social media, more than on websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps.
The Checkout.com report reinforces this concern, highlighting that while consumers are increasingly open to AI-driven shopping, the supporting infrastructure for secure “agentic commerce” is still evolving.
Fraud awareness and the growing role of AI in security
Interestingly, consumers are not viewing AI purely as a risk factor, they are also seeing it as part of the solution.
Visa found that 57 per cent of respondents believe AI has already made scams easier to recognise, while 85 per cent think it will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future.
At the same time, expectations around protection are shifting firmly toward institutions rather than individuals. Around 36 per cent of consumers believe banks or financial institutions should take primary responsibility for fraud protection, while an equal 36 per cent point to government authorities or regulators.
Payment providers are seen as responsible by 34 per cent, compared to just 19 per cent who believe consumers themselves should carry the main burden.
Consumers are also calling for more proactive safeguards. Around 60 per cent say they would feel more secure receiving real-time alerts from their bank or payment app when suspicious activity occurs, while 33 per cent would feel more comfortable seeing a trusted logo at checkout.
Children, scams and the next digital risk frontier
The rapid digitisation of commerce is also raising concerns about younger users.
Visa’s findings show that 80 per cent of consumers believe children in their lives struggle to recognise scams online, while 67 per cent say they have already seen a child fall victim to fraud while gaming or shopping.
Access is also expanding: 33 per cent of parents in the UAE say their children can already use mobile payment apps or digital wallets. This raises longer-term questions about financial literacy and digital safety in an increasingly AI-mediated commerce environment.
The Checkout.com perspective: Infrastructure still catching up
Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com, said the industry is entering a rapid transition phase.
“Agentic commerce is quickly moving from concept to reality. Consumers are beginning to experiment with AI agents for everyday purchases, and across the industry we’re seeing rapid collaboration around the protocols and standards that will support this next phase of ecommerce. But while adoption is ramping up, the infrastructure behind it is still developing. Consumers need confidence that AI agents will operate within clear controls around security, refunds, permissions and spend limits. Until those foundations are in place, trust will remain one of the biggest barriers to adoption.”
The report adds that only 3 per cent of transactions in the UK and US currently involve AI agents, but 89 per cent of merchants are actively preparing for agentic commerce, signalling that supply-side readiness is rising even as consumer trust frameworks are still forming.
A market redefining trust, control and choice
Both studies point to the same underlying shift: UAE consumers are not just adopting AI tools, they are beginning to delegate judgment.
But the transition is uneven. While discovery and comparison are already AI-driven, checkout and financial authority remain areas of hesitation. The result is a hybrid system where AI is deeply embedded in decision-making but not yet fully trusted with execution.
As Visa’s Head of Risk for GCC, Dibyajyoti Sen, noted:
“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.”
He added: “As commerce moves toward more AI-powered and agentic experiences, consumers are embracing the convenience AI can bring to shopping but remain sceptical about AI completing purchases on their behalf. With Visa Intelligent Commerce, we are enabling the next era of commerce built on trust, control and confidence.”
The road to agentic commerce
What emerges from both reports is a clear trajectory: the UAE is moving faster than most markets toward AI-led commerce, but the system supporting it is still evolving.
Consumers are increasingly willing to let AI choose, compare, and even substitute products. In some cases, they are even willing to trust it more than family members for shopping decisions.
Yet the final step, full transactional autonomy, remains incomplete.
The next phase of retail innovation will likely hinge on a single question: not whether AI can shop for consumers, but whether consumers will fully trust it to decide for them.
