According to PayNXT360’s, B2C Ecommerce market in United Arab Emirates is expected to grow by 14.80% on annual basis to reach US$30.7 billion in 2023. The Medium to long-term growth story of B2C Ecommerce industry in United Arab Emirates promises to be attractive . The B2C Ecommerce is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 11.12% during 2023-2027. The country’s B2C Ecommerce Gross Merchandise Value will increase from US$26.8 billion in 2022 to reach US$46.8 billion by 2027. With the pandemic-driven shift to online shopping channels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the industry is projected to keep continuing on its growth momentum over the next three to four years. The loyalty and reward schemes offered by retailers in the region are partly fueling the growth of online shopping in the Emirates.
Apparel, footwear, personal care, and beauty, are among the different categories that are showing strong growth potential over the next few years. With domestic and global players looking to capitalize on the growing e-commerce market, PayNXT360 expects infrastructure investment to grow significantly over the next three to four years in the UAE. This along with the rising social commerce momentum will keep supporting the growth of the overall B2C e-commerce market in the Emirati from the short to medium-term perspective.

Firms are investing in fulfillment centers to serve the growing e-commerce market in the UAE

Fulfillment centers are integral for a successful e-commerce market. With the industry reporting year-over-year growth and projected to keep continuing its strong growth over the next few years, firms are making a significant investment in fulfillment centers. Earlier in 2022, Amazon opened the largest fulfillment center in the country to further accelerate its growth. Now, its competitor had announced an even bigger fulfillment center in the Emirates.

In November 2022, Noon, the Dubai-based online marketplace and Amazon competitor, signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to build the largest fulfillment center in the country. The 252,000-square-meter facility will serve the growing e-commerce market and is scheduled to open in 2024. The transportation and warehousing industries, which are key to the success of the e-commerce sector, are also projected to benefit from the partnership between Noon and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.

The Noon fulfillment center will enable both domestic and international brands to reach their customers across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Furthermore, the investment in developing the infrastructure capabilities, which will introduce new automation technologies, will also accelerate the growth of the Emirati e-commerce market over the next three to four years.

Food delivery firms recorded strong growth in order volumes during the FIFA World Cup event in Q4 2022

Consumers in the Emirates have ordered groceries and food online in significant numbers during the FIFA World Cup event held in Q4 2022 in Qatar. Along with the order volume, the average value for food delivery also increased during the event. Notably, the order volume would have been even more significant, had Zomato UAE did not cease operations in between the event.

Along with food and grocery delivery, the demand for ride-sharing services was also high during the event. To cater to the influx of football fans traveling to attend the event, Careem, a Dubai-based food delivery, and ride-sharing platform, added more than 1,000 cars to its service. The firm also offered intercountry rides to provide a more hassle-free travel experience to global travelers visiting the region for the FIFA World Cup event.

Localization will play a pivotal role in unlocking the e-commerce growth potential for global brands and players

Domestic e-commerce firms accounted for the majority of the total sales in 2022. This shows that homegrown retailers have a competitive edge over international competitors. With the trends projected to be similar in 2023, localization will play a pivotal role for global brands that are seeking to unlock growth in the UAE market.
Many of the global brands have already partnered with local players to benefit from their knowledge, expertise, and regional presence. Over 120 brands have partnered with GMG as they seek to drive their growth and presence in the Middle East market. With the retail sector in the UAE differing from that of the West, especially from a social and cultural viewpoint, partnering with local firms and seeking localization will remain an important strategy for most global players over the next three to four years.

This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of B2C ecommerce market dynamics, covering over 100 KPIs in United Arab Emirates. It details market opportunity across key B2C verticals - Retail Shopping, Travel & Hospitality, Online Food Service, Media and Entertainment, Healthcare and Wellness, and Technology Products and Services. It provides market share by key players across key verticals along with sales channels (Platform to Consumer, Direct to Consumer, Consumer to Consumer). In addition, it provides spending pattern by payment instruments along with a snapshot of consumer behaviour in United Arab Emirates.

The report also covers niche trends such as market size by live streaming engagement model and cross border purchases. It also covers ecommerce spend share by operating systems, device (mobile vs desktop) and cities.

In addition, to detailed data-centric analysis, this report provides analyst commentary on key trends, drivers, strategies, and innovations in the B2C ecommerce industry in United Arab Emirates.