UAE shoppers may soon pay with a fabric bracelet or necklace - no phone, card or wallet needed

Dubai: Experts in the technology and payment systems sector reported that the UAE markets are witnessing a remarkable expansion and a qualitative shift in the use of payment methods and technologies. They cited a growing reliance on more diverse solutions in implementing payment operations, driven by rapid technological developments and the expansion of the integration of artificial intelligence technologies within the payment system. They shared on the sidelines of the Seamless Middle East 2026 exhibition and conference, which recently concluded in Dubai, that the continuous development of payment solutions allows consumers to carry out their daily activities, including sports and shopping, without the need to carry cash wallets or bank cards. The next stage will witness the use of innovative payment methods that have recently been tested, such as sports bracelets, necklaces and rings equipped with technologies that enable payment operations, amid expectations that they will be offered to consumers by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. They pointed out that payment processes are no longer limited to the use of smartphones or smartwatches, but are moving towards more advanced and diverse stages, in light of the continuous expansion in adopting modern smart technologies within the financial sector in the UAE. In detail, Santosh Rao, director of sales channels at Nayx Digital Payments, said that the expansion in the use of modern smart technologies and artificial intelligence systems has greatly contributed to bringing about a qualitative transformation in the payments sector, by providing multiple and diverse means and tools that can be used in payment operations, which helps consumers complete payment operations more quickly and easily. Experts tested new payment technologies during the Seamless Middle East 2026 exhibition and conference. Picture credit: Supplied Rao added that it is expected that soon, perhaps by the end of this year or the beginning of next year, sports bracelets made of fabric, along with sports necklaces, will be available, allowing consumers to engage in activities, shop, and complete payments without needing to carry wallets, credit cards, or even mobile phones. He explained that the technologies used in these sports bracelets, which are scheduled to be launched in the UAE markets after completing the necessary procedures, come within the framework of keeping pace with the continuous growth in the adoption of smart technologies related to electronic payment by the financial sector and local markets in the country, in light of the rapid development that these technologies are witnessing and the multiplicity of their applications and uses. For his part, the director of Brainfire, Majed Al-Din Habbal, said that the continuous development in adopting new smart technologies and integrating artificial intelligence systems in the payments sector contributes to increasing the means and mechanisms of electronic payment, and pushes the sector towards a new stage of qualitative development, the effects of which have begun to appear gradually in local markets. Habbal pointed out that this transformation is particularly evident through the continued introduction of new payment technologies and methods in the markets, reflecting the widening scope of innovation in this field and the increasing reliance on technological solutions that allow consumers to make payments in more flexible and diverse ways. Artem Adrianov, Director of International Public Policy at the Yango Global Technology Group, said that local markets are witnessing continuous development in the field of introducing electronic payment technologies, which supports the use of more multiple and diverse means of paying for purchases. He explained that payment operations are no longer limited to the use of bank cards, mobile phones, or even smartwatches, whose earlier emergence constituted an important development in the payments sector. Rather, the markets are currently moving towards expanding the range of means usable in payment operations, to include sports bracelets made of different materials, including fabrics and other materials, in addition to sports necklaces and smart rings. Adrianov added that these new methods allow consumers to exercise, shop, and make payments without having to carry mobile phones or wallets, noting that the development of these methods is in line with the patterns of rapid transformation towards smart city systems, which increasingly rely on communication and integration between devices through the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technologies. In the same context, technology expert Jess Kim said that integrating artificial intelligence into payment methods has contributed to providing new and more diverse technologies, representing a new generation of wearable payment technologies, whose functions are not limited to carrying out payment operations, but also provide advanced