Consumer protection in mobile payments in the UAE: the current state of play, challenges and the way ahead

'Mobile payments are growing at a great pace in the UAE. The latest technological advancements have made it easy to provide consumers with speedy, cheap, and convenient mobile payment services. However, the success of these services does not rely solely on these technical factors. Mobile payment services will only continue growing so rapidly, if the users of these services are legally well protected. This article seeks to test the adequacy of the current legal framework for mobile payments in the UAE with regard to consumer protection. It focuses in particular on issues of oversight and governance of the mobile payment providers, protection of consumer's data, protection against unauthorized charges, and availability of viable dispute resolution for the consumers. Legislative lacunae are highlighted and solutions for improvement are proposed.'