46% in international debit card payments in Bahrain

BAHRAIN FINANCIAL SERVICES

There’s been a 46 per cent surge in international debit card payments and a 39pc increase in international credit card payments during the recently concluded 2023 F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, as per the latest AFS Transaction Index.

Compiled by Arab Financial Services (AFS), tThe AFS Transaction Index is a resource that monitors the volume and value of electronic payments, recorded on the AFS processing platforms across the kingdom.

Samer Soliman, the chief executive of Arab Financial Services (AFS), commented: “The transaction numbers and volumes that we have recorded on our platforms exceed those of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix and this is a testament to how highly anticipated the Bahrain Grand Prix is – and how it attracts a truly global audience. We have seen significant upsurge in transactions from international cardholders, and specifically by visitors from Singapore and India during the F1 week and this has, in turn, boosted businesses across the kingdom.”

The AFS Transaction Index recorded significant increases in transactions across different business and retail sectors from nationals of Singapore (199pc) and India (58pc), in addition to GCC nationals, in particular from Oman, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia.