Visa, a global digital payments company, has surveyed regional interest in agentic commerce, where AI autonomously acts, decides, and transacts based on user preferences and real-time data. The State of Agentic Commerce in the Middle East, conducted by Fast Company Middle East in partnership with Visa and powered by Probity, reveals Egypt businesses’ early signs of adoption intent despite nascent awareness.
To better understand how agentic commerce is evolving, the report examines initial curiosity to practical implementation, shedding light on shifting dynamics across Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), delving into the region’s future outlook.
From Curiosity to Commercial Action
A survey of C-suite and senior leaders across retail, consumer products, travel and hospitality, and financial services revealed a growing desire to learn more about agentic commerce.
More than half of respondents in Egypt (55.7%) are interested or very interested in emerging commerce technologies such as AI-driven personalization and autonomous transactions. Around six in ten organizations in the UAE and KSA showed similar enthusiasm, signaling a commitment to staying ahead in the region’s digital transformation.
Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of Egyptian respondents are not yet familiar with the concept of agentic commerce. However, a notable informed segment is beginning to emerge across the board: on average, roughly a quarter of leaders report they are quite or very familiar with the concept—27.2% in Egypt, 29.4% in the UAE, and 23.7% in KSA.
Furthermore, burgeoning interest is beginning to translate into action. Reflecting a shift from curiosity to implementation, nearly one in six organizations in Egypt (16.1%) and the UAE (11.7%) are planning to launch a pilot within six months, while this rate in KSA stands at over 43%.
When it comes to perceived benefits, agentic commerce is primarily viewed as a tool to support profitability and user experience, rather than cut costs. Egypt and KSA businesses identify revenue growth as the top expected outcome, while those in the UAE place customer loyalty and retention in the lead.
“We are seeing early but meaningful signs of a shift in Egypt as businesses start to embrace agentic commerce to unlock the next level of value,” said Malak El Baba, Country Manager at Visa Egypt. “At Visa, we view this as the next step in seamless transactions. While commerce becomes more intelligent and autonomous, our role is to keep payments frictionless, inclusive, and secure.”
Looking ahead
Amid growing awareness, investment strategies are beginning to form. A small but notable share of businesses are already planning strategic investments above $1 million—roughly 9% in Egypt, 17% in the UAE, and 10% in KSA.
Most Egyptian organizations are taking a measured approach: they report planning ‘moderate’ investments between $250,000 to $500,000. In the UAE, investment intentions are more evenly split between ‘moderate’ and ‘significant’, i.e. $500,000 to $1 million. KSA businesses strike a middle ground, with nearly three-quarters favoring a ‘moderate’ approach and over a third aiming for higher commitments.
Across the region, barriers to adoption are consistent: data privacy and security emerge as the top concern, followed by unclear return on investment and regulatory risks. Governance and trust challenges outweigh technological limitations, with access to skills and tools ranking low.
Despite barriers, more than 70% of Egyptian respondents expect agentic commerce to be at least moderately disruptive to their industry within two years, and nearly two-thirds of KSA respondents share this sentiment. In the UAE, the expectation of disruption is higher, suggesting the market sees itself as closer to a tipping point.
As businesses prepare for agentic commerce, key factors emerge to drive adoption. Egyptian organizations see industry-specific case studies as essential, while UAE businesses view measurable return on investment as equally important. In the KSA, organizations also prioritize peer recommendations and success stories, suggesting that real-world proof remains the clearest path forward toward participating in the future of commerce. To view the full report please visit this link.
