Bahrain's Cards and Payments Industry: Emerging Opportunities, Trends, Size, Drivers, Strategies, Products and Competitive Landscape, New Report Launched

The report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into Bahrain's cards and payments industry, including:

• Current and forecast values for each category of Bahrain's cards and payments industry, including debit cards, credit cards and prepaid cards
• Comprehensive analysis of the industry’s market attractiveness and future growth areas
• Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing Bahrain's cards and payments industry
• Detailed analysis of the marketing strategies adopted for selling debit, credit and prepaid cards used by banks and other institutions in the market
• Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards
• The competitive landscape of Bahrain's cards and payments industry

Bahrain has a diversified economy with well-developed infrastructural facilities, and is home to large number of multinational companies in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA). The government has encouraged investment in the financial service and tourism sectors as part of its economic diversification plans, with special emphasis on Islamic banking. The country has the region’s highest density of Islamic financial institutions, including 24 dedicated banks. As the need for, and awareness levels of, sophisticated banking products and service offerings increase, banks operating in the country are launching new products to retain market share. Consequently, Bahrain’s cards and payments industry recorded healthy growth during the review period (2009–2013).

Credit transfers and check payments were the preferred payment instruments, having a combined industry share of 99.4% in 2013 in terms of transaction value. The share of payment cards increased from 0.4% in 2009 to 0.6% in 2013, as the government and banks are taking initiatives to increase benefits and awareness levels among consumers and merchants.

In terms of the number of cards in circulation, Bahrain’s payment cards – including debit and credit cards – registered positive growth during the review period, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.49%, increasing from 830,360 cards in 2009 to 1.0 million in 2013. In terms of transaction value, payment cards reached BHD1.1 billion (US$3 billion) in 2013, after registering a CAGR of 17.37%. Similarly in terms of transaction volume, payment cards registered a CAGR of 17.69%, reaching 16.1 million in 2013.

The average transaction value (ATV) in Bahrain was US$185.3 in 2013, which was higher than Saudi Arabia with US$131.3, but lower than other peer countries such as Kuwait, Oman and the UAE. Kuwait recorded the highest ATV with US$319.6, followed by the UAE with US$263.1 and Oman with US$207.4.

In terms of card penetration, Bahrain recorded 0.80 cards per inhabitant in 2013, while the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia recorded 1.96, 1.32, 1.03 and 0.69 respectively. In terms of frequency of use, Bahrain recorded 15.6 transactions per card in 2013, while Saudi Arabia recorded 95.3, Kuwait recorded 47.7, the UAE recorded 43.1 and Oman recorded 13.4.

The Bahraini government’s eGovernment project set out to promote electronic payments, improve banking infrastructure, introduce of Sharia-compliant payment cards, and raise consumer awareness of electronic payments, which were the main factors driving the payment card channel’s growth. The adoption of Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) standards – as well as growth in the e-commerce and retail sectors – also supported this growth.

Scope

• This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Bahrain's cards and payments industry.
• It provides current values for Bahrain's cards and payments industry for 2013, and forecast figures for 2018.
• It details the different economic, infrastructural and business drivers affecting Bahrain's cards and payments industry.
• It outlines the current regulatory framework in the industry.
• It details the marketing strategies used by various banks and other institutions.
• It profiles the major banks in Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

Reasons to Buy

• Make strategic business decisions using top-level historic and forecast market data related to Bahrain's cards and payments industry and each market within it.
• Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities within Bahrain's cards and payments industry.
• Assess the competitive dynamics in Bahrain's cards and payments industry.
• Gain insights in to the marketing strategies used for selling various card types in Bahrain.
• Gain insights into key regulations governing Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

Spanning over 81 pages, “Bahrain's Cards and Payments Industry: Emerging Opportunities, Trends, Size, Drivers, Strategies, Products and Competitive Landscape” report covering the Key Facts and Top Events, Executive Summary, Payment Instruments, Market Attractiveness and Future Prospects of Cards and Payments, Analysis of Cards and Payments Industry Drivers, Emerging Consumer Attitudes and Trends, Payment Cards, Debit Cards, Credit Cards, Commercial Cards, Regulations in the Cards and Payments Industry, Card Fraud Statistics, Card Issuers, Card Schemes, Prepaid Cards, Appendix. The report covered companies are - National Bank of Bahrain, Ahli United Bank, CrediMax, HSBC Bahrain, Standard Chartered Bank Bahrain, Citibank, American Express, MasterCard, Visa

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