Weekly online shopping activity UAE 2023

A considerable share of internet users in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) utilized e-commerce platforms and services in 2023. In addition to buying products online, at least 13 percent of users used fintech services such as buy now, pay later (BNPL) to make purchases. Nearly a quarter of users also reported accessing platforms that provided product price comparison information.

E-commerce in the UAE

The retail value of e-commerce in the UAE is worth billions of U.S. dollars and has consistently increased each subsequent year during the past four years. Public and private sector services in the UAE are already quite digitized, and the country is often quick to adopt new digital technologies or digitize existing services. Thus, consumers are generally comfortable shopping online, as compared to other countries in the region where e-commerce has only recently begun to gain traction. This has led to many traditional supermarket and hypermarket chains such as Carrefour UAE and Lulu expanding their business online. Nonetheless, certain e-commerce categories in the UAE still hold a larger market share than others.

Digital industries

The e-commerce sector has had repercussions across a wide range of industries. As an example, there has been increased consumer engagement with digital marketing in the UAE . Additionally, as the online retail space grows, so will support industries such as fulfillment centers, customer support, and courier services. Another payment medium that has benefited from online sales is BNPL, used by a considerable share of internet users. Furthermore, the UAE aims to become one of the world's leading hubs for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, making it an attractive destination for fans of the digital currency, who were already incentivized by the country’s tax-friendly policies.