Dragonpass said on Thursday its latest Loyalty Index showed consumers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) place greater emphasis on tangible value and everyday benefits when engaging with loyalty programmes, compared with other markets.
The global benchmarking study, which compares consumer behaviour across key regions, found more than 82 percent of GCC consumers consider perks an important factor in deciding whether to engage with a loyalty programme.
By contrast, consumers in the United Kingdom and Singapore were found to prioritize trust, familiarity and long-term relationships, reflecting different approaches to loyalty across markets.
In the GCC, the report showed consumers are more active in evaluating loyalty programmes, contributing to a competitive environment for brands. In Singapore, behavior was described as more stable, with fewer consumers regularly switching between programmes.
The study also indicated that loyalty in the GCC has expanded beyond travel into everyday lifestyle categories. Dining benefits were the most commonly used perk, with about 50 percent of consumers reporting they had redeemed dining-related offers in the past year.
Travel-related benefits, including airport lounge access, fast-track services and hotel perks, remained in use but were part of a broader mix of rewards that also included wellness and daily lifestyle experiences.
In comparison, consumers in the United Kingdom were more likely to favor grocery discounts and cashback offers, while those in Singapore showed a stronger preference for financial and savings-related rewards.
The findings also pointed to changes in how consumers assess banking services in the GCC, with increased focus on lifestyle-related benefits such as dining, travel and exclusive experiences.
In Singapore and the United Kingdom, loyalty in financial services remained more closely associated with security, reliability and core functionality, according to the report.
“The Loyalty Index shows that loyalty is evolving at different speeds across markets,” said Andrew Harrison-Chinn, chief marketing officer at Dragonpass.
“In the GCC, we are seeing a highly engaged consumer base that is setting the pace for more value-driven, experience-led loyalty,” he said.
Dragonpass said the Loyalty Index is designed as an ongoing global benchmark tracking how consumer expectations evolve across regions and industries.
