Nearly 2 years post its $580-million acquisition of Souq.com, e-commerce giant Amazon has officially made its debut in the UAE.
Amazon.ae officially saw the light today after it completed the migration of Souq’s sellers to its platform (Seller Central). In addition to the local selection from Souq’s sellers, it has been reported earlier that Amazon is also expected to open the door to its North American seller base. The landing page welcomes customers with a message from Souq’s co-founder, Ronaldo Mouchawar, now vice president of Amazon MENA.
Customers can shop on Amazon.ae by using the Amazon App or by visiting the new website. Both the app and the website will offer a fast and rich browsing experience, accurate search results, trusted product reviews, personalized recommendations and simple order management.
Completely localized for an effortless experience, shoppers can search for their favorite products and pay in AED using local and international credit cards or cash on delivery (COD). For the first time ever at Amazon, Arabic language has been introduced to both the mobile app and the website to cater to customers who prefer shopping in Arabic.
Customers shopping on Amazon.ae will continue to enjoy free next day delivery on orders above AED 100 as well as paid same day delivery to select areas in the UAE. Amazon’s global expertise in logistics will provide accurate delivery and shipment tracking, and will keep investing in ways that improve the delivery experience.
The thousands of businesses who were selling on Souq are now selling on Amazon.ae. UAE businesses of all sizes can sell their products on Amazon.ae, with access to easy listing tools, safe payment processing, promotional features to help them get discovered by customers, and simplified logistics solutions with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). All aspiring entrepreneurs, regardless of their experience or business know-how, have access to the Amazon resources, products and tools that they need to grow a business.
it’s surely an interesting year for e-commerce customers in the UAE, with Namshi being acquired by Emaar Malls and noon scaling up in supersonic mode. Let the competition begin.