Building trust and driving value

160 Percent Payment Growth Drives Major Success for AFS at Jewellery Arabia 2025

AFS delivered a standout performance at Jewellery Arabia 2025, supporting seamless digital payments across the five-day event and recording one of the strongest years in terms of both domestic and international activity. According to the AFS Index, overall daily payments volumes processed during the exhibition grew by more than 160 percent, driven largely by a surge in international visitors and consistently strong purchasing power from the local community.International spending played a major role in this year’s growth, reflecting the global appeal of the exhibition. The highest transaction volumes came from visitors within the GCC region, with buyers from Saudi Arabia contributing the largest share of international payments, followed by significant inflows from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman. Beyond the Gulf, the event drew a diverse mix of luxury shoppers from North and Central America, Europe, East Asia, Central and South Asia, and other Near and Middle Eastern markets. Notable activity came from the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Jordan, Malaysia, and India, showing the extensive international reach of the event.Transaction activity was equally strong, with tens of thousands of secure card payments flowing through AFS’s acquiring infrastructure. Premium cardholders in particular showed high engagement, reflecting the luxury positioning of the exhibition and the confidence visitors placed in the reliability of AFS’s payment network.Samer Soliman, Chief Executive Officer of AFS, offered key insights into the results and strategic value: Our success at Jewellery Arabia demonstrates how advanced, reliable payment infrastructure adds significant strategic value to high-volume events. This year, the integration of the ASB Pay Business application was crucial, allowing merchants to accept payments quickly and flexibly directly on their mobile devices. We're proud to deliver this blend of advanced technology, seamless acquiring, and trusted security, significantly improving the experience for both exhibitors and buyers. AFS remains dedicated to powering Bahrain’s retail sector with world-class technology and robust digital capabilities.The combination of a strong international presence, elevated spending levels, and steady local demand made this year’s Jewellery Arabia one of the most commercially successful editions to date. AFS’s ability to process high-value, high-volume transactions with speed and security once again reinforces its position as the trusted digital payments partner for Bahrain’s flagship events and the wider region.