Buy now, pay later players tackle credit conundrum in Mideast's Gulf

FILE PHOTO: A Saudi woman wearing protective gloves shops at a supermarket, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/

DUBAI (Reuters) - Financial technology start-ups in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates offering online short-term credit say they are enjoying exponential growth as the coronavirus pandemic drives a shift in consumer spending online.

Digital buy now, pay later (BNPL) purchasing is relatively new to the region where consumers have traditionally been sceptical of paying for goods before getting them.