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UAE Users Sleep Less, But More Efficiently, ŌURA Data Reveals

UAE users of the ŌURA smart ring sleep less than peers in Europe, the US and Asia yet score among the world’s most efficient sleepers.

Published

9 months ago

January 15, 2026

Joanna Melki

uae users sleep less but more efficiently oura data reveals

ŌURA

UAE users of the ŌURA smart ring sleep less than peers in Europe, the US and Asia yet score among the world’s most efficient sleepers, according to new data from the Finnish wearable maker.

Members in the Emirates average 6.85 hours a night, just shy of the global 7.1-hour norm. Even so, they post an average sleep-efficiency score of 85.7%, outpacing markets including the US, UK, Finland and New Zealand. Sleep efficiency tracks how much of the time in bed counts as actual sleep.

doug sweeny oura chief marketing officer in dubai

The study points to a clear “night-owl” profile. Typical bedtimes land at 12:06 am and wake-ups at 7:57 am. ŌURA said the UAE holds the highest share of late-evening chronotypes in its sample at 6.67%, more than double the global rate.

Gender gaps also stand out. Women sleep nearly 30 minutes longer than men (7.07 vs 6.59 hours) and show slightly higher efficiency and more consistent REM patterns.

“Sleep quality is one of the most important indicators of long-term health, and the UAE is a standout example of protecting quality when life demands make quantity a challenge,” said Doug Sweeny, ŌURA’s chief marketing officer. He argued the country appears to be “working with the body’s natural circadian rhythms rather than against them”.

Also Read: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health Is A Private Space For Health Data

For ŌURA, the promotion of its research coincides with a broader retail push in the Gulf region. The company’s fourth-generation smart ring — including a ceramic edition — is now sold through Amazon.ae, Virgin Megastore and Dubai Duty Free, starting at AED 1,599.

Wearables adoption in the UAE has picked up in recent years as governments in the Gulf steer preventative-health and digital tracking strategies. Sleep metrics have become a battleground for brands seeking consumers who care more about recovery than step counts.

Related Topics:HealthTech ŌURA United Arab Emirates

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NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders

A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2026

Nour Nasir

neopay wants to follow merchants across channels and borders

It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.

The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.

For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.

“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.

Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country

NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.

The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.