Further highlighting its commitment to enhancing the cashless payments ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, Mastercard, has collaborated with the national payment system of Saudi Arabia, mada, on the rollout of Apple Pay in the country. The move is the latest step in Mastercard’s ongoing drive to bring Saudi consumers faster, easier, and more secure digital payments.

Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When you use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on your device. Each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code.

As one of the world’s largest payment networks and a leader in digital payments, Mastercard leverages its innovative Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES), which employs advanced payment technologies including EMV standards, tokenization, and cryptography for transactions processed through the Mastercard network, while mada’s tokenization platform handles local transactions, ensuring the integrity of cardholder information locally and internationally.

Apple Pay will initially be available to Mastercard cardholders with National Commercial Bank and Riyad Bank.

J.K. Khalil, General Manager, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Mastercard, commented, “Saudi Arabia is home to a young, tech-savvy population who are keen to adopt innovative solutions that provide seamless payment experiences. Our collaboration with mada represents another milestone in our mutual efforts to enhance the Kingdom’s digital ecosystem. The speed and simplicity of Apple Pay, coupled with the peace of mind Mastercard’s multi-tiered approach to safety and security brings to every purchase, will further accelerate the uptake of cashless transactions in the region and contribute to our global vision of a world beyond cash.”

Ziyad Al-Yousef, Managing Director, mada, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Mastercard and to bring the benefits of Apple Pay to Saudi Arabia. The rollout of this fast and convenient solution is poised to transform how consumers in the Kingdom pay for goods and services, and is an important step in the government’s ongoing digitization drive in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP).”

Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by their credit and debit cards. In stores, Apple Pay works with iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and later, and Apple Watch.

Online shopping in apps and on websites accepting Apple Pay is as simple as the touch of a finger with Touch ID, with no need to manually fill out lengthy account forms or repeatedly type in shipping and billing information. When paying for goods and services on the go in apps or Safari, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6 and later, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3 and later. Users can also complete purchases using Apple Pay in Safari on any Mac introduced in or after 2012 running macOS Sierra and confirm the payment with iPhone 6 or later or Apple Watch, or with Touch ID on the new MacBook Pro.