News

Bahraini Artist Hala Al-Abbasi Creates Ramadan Stickers For Instagram

To celebrate Ramadan, Hala Al-Abbasi was approached by Instagram and asked to create a series of new stickers inspired by her favorite aspects of the holy month.

Published

5 years ago

April 21, 2021

Joanna Melki

Hala Al-Abbasi

For many artists, being approached by a major social media network to create a piece of art for all hundreds of millions of users to enjoy is a dream come true. For Bahraini artist Hala Al-Abbasi, it’s reality.

To celebrate Ramadan, Al-Abbasi was approached by Instagram and asked to create a series of new stickers inspired by her favorite aspects of the holy month. She chose to reflect on the moments people celebrating Ramadan share together, creating three unique stickers, each as dazzling as the next one.

“I am very grateful and so happy to be chosen by the Instagram team. I really loved and enjoyed working with them and am so proud to be the first in the region to work on the stickers and share them with the world,” Al-Abbasi said in an interview with Emirates Woman. “This amazing opportunity has a very special place in my heart, the love that I have put into my work has been everything to me to share and spread that with the people around the world.”

Also Read: 12 Arab Women Dominating Instagram In 2023

The collaboration between Hala Al-Abbasi and Instagram has proven successful as millions of users around the world have used her stickers in their stories.

The first of the three stickers shows a colorful mosque against a starry sky.

Instagram @Haluulie

The second one is a visual of a crescent and stars.

Instagram @Haluulie

The last one is an illustration of tea and dates.

Instagram @Haluulie

Using the three stickers is easy: simply open the Instagram Story tray and add your favorite Ramadan sticker.

“Hala hopes that her stickers will be used throughout Ramadan to mark moments of celebration, from greetings to special suhoors and iftars, all the way to celebrating Eid,” shared Instagram on its design account. Considering how well-received the stickers have been, we think it’s safe to say that Al-Abbasi’s wish will come true.

News

Saudi Digital Payments Reach 80% As Cash Use Shrinks

Visa data shows cards and mobile wallets dominate spending, with smartphones now driving a growing share of daily transactions.

Published

1 day ago

January 23, 2026

Nour Nasir

saudi digital payments reach 80% as cash use shrinks

Digital payments now account for 80% of all transactions in Saudi Arabia, according to Visa’s latest Where Cash Hides report, another marker of how quickly the Kingdom is moving away from cash.

The share is up four percentage points from a year ago. Around 67% of consumers are now largely non-cash users, paying mainly with cards or mobile wallets. Smartphones are taking a bigger role, with mobile payments making up 16% of transactions.

visa where cash hides saudi arabia 2026

Cash is retreating in routine spending. Eating out dropped 9%. Bill payments fell 8%, as shoppers opt for faster checkouts and app-based payments.

“The data shows a steady move toward digital payments in Saudi Arabia. Such progress is possible only because banks, fintechs, merchants, and technology partners are moving together in the same direction, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” said Ali Bailoun, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.

Also Read: UAE Users Sleep Less, But More Efficiently, ŌURA Data Reveals

Despite the recent findings, it’s important to note that cash hasn’t yet disappeared. It still shows up for tips (39%), peer-to-peer transfers (28%) and rent (14%).

Visa points to security features such as tokenization, along with rewards and cashback, as factors nudging more spending onto cards and phones — a shift that tracks with Saudi Arabia’s wider Vision 2030 push to digitize commerce.