The Arab world hails ecommerce market development - report

The report in question analyses four Arab markets: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait.

In the UAE, the report notes, 60% of the 3.65 million ecommerce customers are located in Dubai, while another 27% are in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi collectively. In Egypt, 27% of ecommerce purchases are paid for with a credit card, while cash-on-delivery comes next.

Average cash-on-delivery (COD) orders decreased from USD 114 in 2013 to USD 113 in 2014, meaning a 0.8% fall. However, credit card orders increased from USD 155 in 2013 to USD 168 in 2014, meaning a 49% rise. Overall, there was an increase in ecommerce basket size in the UAE.

Saudi Arabia witnessed an increase of 8% for cash-on-delivery orders from USD 143 in 2013 to USD 154 in 2014. Meanwhile, credit card orders increased by 32%, from USD 96 in 2013 to USD 127 in 2014.

In Egypt, an increase of 16% in cash-on-delivery orders was recorded, from USD 83 in 2013 to USD 96 in 2014. Credit card orders went up by 36%, from USD 71 in 2013 to USD 96 in 2014.

36% of consumers appealed to m-commerce websites to save items in their shopping cart for use later at a brick-and-mortar store. Customers in the four countries transact via mobile more than the global average, with 41% as compared to 21.3% global average.

Customers aged between 18 and 26 make up the largest demographic group of mobile payment users with 39% of the market. This category is expected to reach USD 2.45 trillion in transactions worldwide by 2015.

Customers aged between 27 and 39 come next, with 31% of the market, followed by customers aged between 40 and 61 with 26%, and 62 and older with 3% of the market.

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