According to PayNXT360, social commerce industry in United Arab Emirates is expected to grow by 21.6% on annual basis to reach US$975.2 million in 2023.

The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 19.9% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$975.2 million in 2023 to reach US$2898.7 million by 2028.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), consumers are spending an increasing amount of time on social media platforms. The affinity with these mobile applications is driving an upsurge in social commerce. Social media channels, such as Facebook and Instagram, have made it easier for brands to interact with their consumers and drive their sales leveraging the massive outreach among consumers in the Emirates.

The trend is projected to further continue from the short to medium-term perspective, and as a result, more and more global players are entering the Emirati market to capitalize on the growth potential in the UAE. The resulting investment from global and domestic firms, amid the rising competition, will keep supporting the growth of the social commerce industry from the short to medium-term perspective.

Global players are expanding their footprint in the Emirati social commerce market to accelerate growth

Retailers in the Emirati nation are increasingly turning to social media channels to drive their sales while seeking to build a long-term loyal customer base. To capitalize on the trend, global players are expanding and scaling their businesses in the country. For instance,

  • In October 2022, respond.io, the Malaysian social commerce startup, announced that the firm is planning to increase its investment in the Emirates social commerce market to further accelerate its growth. The firm had already achieved strong growth in the UAE over the last 12 months. Being one of the largest revenue growth drivers for the firm, respond.io recorded revenue growth of 236% in the country. With the increasing investment in the UAE market, respond.io will enable more retailers to integrate social channels into their existing customer relationship management.

    The announcement to increase the investment in the Emirates comes after the firm raised US$7 million in its Series A funding round. From the short to medium-term perspective, more such firms are expected to boost their investment in the space, as small retailers and brands seek to diversify their sales channels in the region.

    Beauty and personal care segment to lead the growth in the Emirati social commerce industry

    Brands and retailers across industry verticals are driving sales and revenue through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Leveraging an increasing amount of time spent by consumers online, many brands are reaching customers through social channels. However, over the next three to four years, the beauty and personal care segment is expected to lead the growth in the Emirati social commerce industry.

    While family and friend sources are largely driving social commerce shopping trends, celebrity-influenced purchases are also catching up in the Emirates. The increasing trust towards content creators is projected to further grow, thereby resulting in an upsurge in social commerce activities. Consequently, PayNXT360 expects more retailers to partner with influencers in the region to further drive their sales and revenue growth in the region from the short to medium-term perspective.

    TikTok has gained widespread popularity among consumers and brands in the Emirates

    The UAE has a strong population of young generation consumers. With this consumer demographic inclined more towards video content, like the one offered by TikTok, the social media platform has gained widespread popularity among shoppers and brands over the last two years.
    Many Gen Z consumers are using social channels to discover products and make purchases online. Furthermore, brands are also using the channel to converse with their audiences in the UAE. Alshaya, the retail group based in the Emirati country, leveraged the live streaming capabilities offered by the social channel to create its online shopping event, targeted towards Gen Z consumers.

    The group ran the live stream campaign for eight days, with eight brands under the group offering the best deals one day after the other for the Black Friday event. From the short to medium-term perspective, PayNXT360 expects more brands and retailers to launch such campaigns in the Emirates.

    This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics.

    PayNXT360’s research methodology is based on industry best practices. Its unbiased analysis leverages a proprietary analytics platform to offer a detailed view on emerging business and investment market opportunities.