24% increase in credit card use by Ramadan shoppers

The use of credit cards for shopping in the Kingdom increased by 24 percent this month compared to the previous month with Saudis and expatriates going on a spending free to purchase the needs of Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr holidays, a banking official said.
Talat Hafiz, secretary-general of the media committee for enlightening customers at Saudi banks, said cash withdrawals through ATMs rose by eight percent during the month.
The Saudi banks have instructed credit card users to follow the rules and regulations in order to prevent foul play. "It should be used for shopping only at well-known and reliable outlets," Hafiz said.
"There is a possibility of misusing credit cards during this period of the year when many people use them for traveling and shopping," said Hafiz. "People should not show the account number and secret numbers of their ATM cards to others," he said.
Hafiz added that Saudi banks have taken all precautionary measures to meet the monetary requirements of clients during Ramadan and Eid A-Fitr. "ATMs are filled with currencies regularly to meet growing demand." He also pointed out that the electronic banking services of Saudi banks enjoy high security. However, he stressed that customers should follow regulations to ensure maximum safety.