The US-based retail giant Amazon signed an agreement Wednesday to start an online grocery store in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Amazon and Abu Dhabi’s operator Lulu Group will work together to develop an online grocery service that delivers products to customers in the UAE.
Customers can now buy grocery items and daily essentials from LuLu Group via Amazon. The shopping will be in effect on Amazon’s Emirati website via Amazon.ae, according to a press release.
The move will augment Amazon’s footprint in the Middle East. Amazon recently launched a storefront for Egyptian handicrafts. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund also bought more shares in Amazon earlier this year, and its stock in the company is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Muhammad Ali Al-Shurafa, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, said: “This partnership is in line with the efforts of Abu Dhabi and the UAE to support private sector institutions and companies to innovate, provide modern and smooth services to the public, and develop their commercial businesses,” according to Archyde.
Yusuf Ali, chairman and managing director of LuLu Group, told Archyde: “Our customers’ needs are a top priority in all of our operations, and we are well aware of the importance of listening to customers and adapting our business models to provide them with an advanced shopping experience that meets their ambitious aspirations.”
Ali added that he “looks forward to connecting with millions of customers shopping on Amazon”, according to Timeout Dubai.
LuLu’s partnership with Amazon comes despite the grocery store already having an online presence.
More and more services in the UAE are moving online as the country is seeking to be a global high-tech hub.
The US retail giant has also developed further in Saudi Arabia and Egypt recently.
Last October, Amazon announced the opening of the new Amazon Saudi Arabia office in Riyadh, indicating that the new office would be located in the Riyadh front property.
Amazon Saudi Arabia confirmed that the opening of the new branch in the Kingdom is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to empowering customers, selling partners, and employees in Saudi Arabia, and supporting social and economic growth throughout the Kingdom.
Lulu Group operates supermarkets around the world, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Asian countries.
