Apple Pay will launch in the UAE, Denmark, Finland and Sweden by the end of the year, expanding service availability to 20 countries.

Its launch in the UAE will be Apple Pay’s first market in the Middle East and Africa, having focused initial launches in North America, Europe and Asia.

The company switched on its latest new region in May with its launch in Italy, including San Marino and Vatican City.

Its roadmap for the rest of the year was revealed by Apple SVP and CFO Luca Maestri during the company’s fiscal Q3 earnings call covering the three months to July 1.

“The reach, usage, and functionality of Apple Pay continue to grow,” Maestri told investors, adding: “Apple Pay is by far the number one NFC payment service on mobile devices, with nearly 90 per cent of all transactions globally.”

“Momentum is strongest in international markets, where the infrastructure for mobile payments has developed faster than in the US,” he said.

A breakdown of performance metrics for Apple Pay are not included in the company’s consolidated financial results either for the quarter or in its annual statements. However, CEO Tim Cook regularly hailed the traction of the service since its launch in the US in October 2014.

Later this year, the company is set to expand the functionality of Apple Pay with the addition of person-to-person payments. The upgrade will be part of its operating system release announced at its worldwide developer conference in June.