Description
Countries Covered: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
Pages: 161
Publication Date: 26/06/2019
Questions Covered in the report:
What are the largest B2C E-Commerce markets in MENA?
What is the growth projection for B2C E-Commerce sales in MENA until 2022?
Which factors contribute to the growth of online retail sales in the MENA countries?
Which products and payment methods are preferred by online shoppers in this region?
What are the most popular online shopping websites in the countries of MENA?
Key findings:
MENA’s B2C E-Commerce sales to double by 2022
B2C E-Commerce sales growth projections in MENA
B2C E-Commerce in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is nascent: only a small one-digit percentage of overall retail sales are online as of 2019. As the market has not yet lived up to its potential, rapid growth rates are projected for B2C E-Commerce sales in MENA with a forecast that by 2022, the market will be more than twice its 2019 size. Higher Internet and smartphone penetration rates are boosting digital connectivity of MENA’s consumers, while improving logistics and payments infrastructures lay the ground for future growth. At the same time, lack of trust in online shopping remains a major barrier for B2C E-Commerce development and helps cash on delivery maintain the lead over digital payment methods in many countries of the region, as the yStats.com report shows.
MENA’s Top 3 B2C E-Commerce Markets
The top two countries in MENA in terms of B2C E-Commerce market size in 2019 are Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Combined, these markets account for nearly two-thirds of the region’s online retail sales. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are projected to maintain strong double-digit growth rates through 2022. By the end of this period, the UAE is expected to achieve a double-digit penetration of E-Commerce in retail sales, according to a forecast cited in the yStats.com report. Egypt is a rising star of MENA’s B2C E-Commerce, with growth rates of above +30% between 2019 and 2022.
Leading Online Shopping Trends in MENA
M-Commerce and cross-border online shopping are the leading trends in MENA’s online retail landscape, according to the yStats.com report. More than 50% of digital buyers in the Middle East place orders using their phones, and a double-digit share of online shoppers in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries, purchase from international sellers. The top global platforms used for digital shopping include Amazon and AliExpress. The former is also expanding local presence in the region following the acquisition of a leading local E-Commerce merchant Souq.com.
