Kuwaitis spent 6 million dinars daily abroad during the peak of summer 2026

Ibrahim Mohammed: The summer travel and vacation season triggered a notable surge in spending by Kuwaiti cardholders abroad in July, with travelers spending the equivalent of approximately 5.9 million dinars daily through point-of-sale terminals and cash withdrawals from ATMs overseas, coinciding with the peak of travel activity during the summer holidays. According to official figures and data, total direct spending abroad by citizens and residents in July reached approximately 183.7 million dinars, compared to around 129.9 million dinars in June, representing a monthly increase of 53.8 million dinars, or 41.4%. Calculating the average spending over the number of days in the month, the daily spending rate rose from approximately 4.3 million dinars per day in June to about 5.93 million dinars in July, an increase of nearly 1.6 million dinars per day. These figures indicate the impact of the summer travel season on the use of Kuwaiti debit cards abroad, particularly since July falls at the heart of the summer vacation period and the season when citizens and residents travel to international destinations. Data released by the Central Bank of Kuwait revealed that the largest portion of July’s spending came from direct purchases via point-of-sale terminals outside Kuwait, amounting to 159.2 million dinars. This means that travelers spent an average of approximately 5.14 million dinars per day on direct purchases using their debit cards in July. In contrast, cash withdrawals from ATMs outside Kuwait totaled approximately 24.5 million dinars during the same month, equivalent to about 790,000 dinars per day. Consequently, the average daily spending of 5.93 million dinars was distributed between 5.14 million dinars for purchases via point-of-sale terminals and 790,000 dinars for cash withdrawals.