eCommerce market in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates is the 28th largest market for eCommerce with a predicted revenue of US$11,782.3 million by 2023, placing it ahead of Belgium. Revenue is expected to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 8.6%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$16,373.4 million by 2027. With an expected increase of 10.6% in 2023, the UAE eCommerce market contributed to the worldwide growth rate of 17.0% in 2023. Like in the United Arab Emirates, global eCommerce sales are expected to increase over the next years. Five markets are considered by ecommerceDB within the UAE eCommerce market. Fashion is the largest market and accounts for 38.7% of the UAE eCommerce revenue. It is followed by Electronics & Media with 19.9%, Toys, Hobby & DIY with 15.4%, Food & Personal Care with 13.6%, and Furniture & Appliances with the remaining 12.4%.

Market development

eCommerce revenue development in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates is the 28th largest market for eCommerce with a predicted revenue of US$11,782.3 million by 2023, placing it ahead of Belgium. Revenue is expected to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 8.6%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$16,373.4 million by 2027. With an expected increase of 10.6% in 2023, the UAE eCommerce market contributed to the worldwide growth rate of 17.0% in 2023. Like in the United Arab Emirates, global eCommerce sales are expected to increase over the next years. Five markets are considered by ecommerceDB within the UAE eCommerce market. Fashion is the largest market and accounts for 38.7% of the UAE eCommerce revenue. It is followed by Electronics & Media with 19.9%, Toys, Hobby & DIY with 15.4%, Food & Personal Care with 13.6%, and Furniture & Appliances with the remaining 12.4%.

eCommerce revenue development in the UAE

in million US$, in %

Note: Data shown is using current exchange rates and reflects market impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war

Source: Statista Market Insights, ecommerceDB

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Revenue (in mUS$) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Growth (in %) 22.7 2.7 44.4 10.8 38.5 35.7 23.3 66.8
AOV (in US$) 22.1 66.6 14.7 31.8 33.9 28.8 58.3 88.5
CVR (in %) 22.7 2.7 44.4 10.8 38.5 35.7 23.3 66.8
AOV: Average Order Value CVR: Conversion Rate

Top stores

Top five online stores in the UAE by net sales 2021

The biggest player in the UAE eCommerce market is amazon.ae. The store had a revenue of US$499.3 million in 2021. amazon.ae is followed by namshi.com and noon.com as the second- and third-largest stores with US$240.2 million and US$226.3 million, respectively. Altogether, the top three stores account for 38.9% of the top 100 online stores' revenue in the United Arab Emirates. Store rankings include every store that generates revenue in the United Arab Emirates. These stores can either have a national focus and only sell in their main country or operate on a global scale. For this evaluation, only revenue created in the United Arab Emirates was considered.

eCommerce net sales generated in the UAE in 2021

in million US$

Note: First party net sales generated after deduction of returns, allowances for damaged or missing goods and any discounts allowed

Source: Annual report, secondary sources, ecommerceDB analysis

no-access-0 no-access-1 no-access-2 no-access-3 no-access-4
Filtered revenue (in mUS$) 900.0 550.0 470.0 430.0 370.0
Share of global revenue (in %) 20.7 12.0 3.9 20.6 20.7
Global revenue (in mUS$) 8,300.0 4,600.0 1,190.0 2,122.0 1,814.0
Growth global revenue (in %) 8.3 12.4 33.6 18.0 12.6