The certification marks «a significant step in strengthening the Kingdom’s rapidly growing digital commerce ecosystem,» Mastercard Gateway said in a media statement on Sunday, the first working day of the week in Saudi Arabia (Friday and Saturday constitute the weekend in the Islamic country).

Boost for Saudi Payment Infrastructure

With this certification, Mastercard Gateway can now route and process e-commerce transactions locally and securely – including features such as tokenization, fraud prevention, and direct connectivity to the national payment network mada. This technical upgrade is expected to reduce latency in online payments and significantly improve the payment experience for merchants and consumers in the Kingdom.

The new interface is part of a comprehensive modernization agenda by SAMA aimed at strengthening the national payment infrastructure – in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to drive the digitalization of the economy and broaden value creation. By processing e-commerce payments on local soil, Mastercard Gateway intends to support the dynamically growing online retail volume while simultaneously increasing security and resilience in digital payments.

Growing Affinity for Online Shopping 

«Mastercard is committed to powering economies and empowering people. We understand the importance of robust infrastructure, secure technology, smart integration, and collaboration for a thriving digital economy,» said Saud Swar, Country Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and the Levant. «With this certification, we are pleased to contribute to realizing the immense e-commerce potential of the Kingdom.»

According to Toby Iles, Chief Economist at Jadwa Investment in Riyadh, «total consumer spending in Saudi Arabia rose by 11.9 percent in September – despite a slight monthly decline of 3.2 percent. The annual increase was driven by both POS and e-commerce transactions, which grew by 6.2 percent and 66.7 percent respectively.»

Leading e-commerce providers in the Kingdom—with a total population of 35.3 million people, of whom 45 percent are foreigners—include Amazon Saudi Arabia, Noon.com, Jarir.com, and eXtra (formerly United Electronics Company).

Commitment to Higher Security

Mastercard Gateway is designed as a central access point for merchants and acquirers and supports more than 35 payment methods. The platform also offers extensive security features such as tokenization, biometric authentication, and 3D Secure. Integration with SAMA’s new interface is expected to lower market entry barriers for retailers and further accelerate the adoption of digital payments across the Kingdom.

According to Microsoft, Saudi Arabia ranked 23rd globally and fifth in the Middle East and Africa region in the first half of 2025 for the frequency of customers impacted by cyber activities. The Kingdom accounted for approximately 5.6 percent of affected users in the region.

Nonetheless, Mastercard Gateway is confident it will elevate e-commerce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to a new level. Supported by over 250 global acquirers, the platform serves more than half a million merchants and provides access to over 150 million acceptance points worldwide. In 2024 alone, it processed more than one billion transactions in Saudi Arabia.