Middle East B2C E-Commerce Market 2018

Middle East B2C E-Commerce Market 2018

Fast growth of online retail expected in Middle East, says yStats.com report

Germany-based secondary market research firm yStats.com’s new publication, “Middle East B2C E-Commerce Market 2018”, reports on the growth of online retail in nine countries of the region. Improvements in infrastructure and increased Internet connectivity are among the factors pointing to near-term growth of B2C E-Commerce.

Retail E-Commerce sales in the countries of the Middle East are projected to increase significantly between 2017 and 2020. The main impulse for the rapid growth is increased Internet penetration, already surpassing 90% in many nations of the region. Shoppers are also warming to the idea of online shopping, though the tradition of brick and mortar shopping remains strong. Forecasts cited in the yStats.com publication indicate an annual cumulative growth rate that will result in the doubling of online retail sales by 2020 compared to 2017 for the Gulf countries.

In addition to the preference for in-store shopping, other barriers to development of online retail in the Middle East include a preference for cash payment and challenges with last mile delivery. Nevertheless, most countries covered in the yStats.com publication are responding to the efforts of international merchants such as Amazon.com and AliExpress.com as well as local online retailers including Souq.com to promote online shopping.


1. Management Summary
2. Regional
E-Commerce Sales, by Airlines, Retail, Entertainment, and Travel, in USD billion, by Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, in USD billion, 2016
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, by Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, 2016
Smartphone Penetration, in % of Adults, by Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, March 2017
Devices Used to Access the Internet, in % of Adults, by Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, March 2017
Retail E-Commerce Sales in the GCC, by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Other GCC Countries, in USD billion, 2015 – 2020f
Breakdown of Retail E-Commerce Sales in the GCC, by Countries, in %, 2015 & 2020f
Breakdown of Devices Used for Browsing & Researching and for Purchasing & Checkout, in % of Online Shoppers in the GCC, October 2016
Breakdown of Frequency of Webrooming and Showrooming, in % of Online Shoppers in the GCC, October 2016
Breakdown of Payment Methods Preferred in E-Commerce, in % of Online Shoppers in the GCC, October 2016
Share of Local Millennials in the GCC Buying From Local and from International Sites, in %, July 2017
Product Categories to Purchase Online, in % of Local Millennials in the GCC, July 2017
Top 3 Barriers to Online Shopping, in % of Local Millennials in the GCC Who Did Not Shop Online, July 2017
3. UAE
3.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
3.2. Trends
Devices Used to Access the Internet, in % of Adults, March 2017
Share of Online Shoppers Who Purchased via Smartphone, in %, October 2016
Breakdown of Online Shoppers by Domestic Shoppers Only, Domestic and Cross-Border Shoppers, and Cross-Border Shoppers Only, in %, October 2016
Top Reasons for Buying From Top 3 Foreign Markets, in % of Online Shoppers in the UAE Buying From the Respective Market, October 2016
3.3. Sales & Shares
Retail E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, 2015 – 2020f
E-Commerce Sales, by Airlines, Retail, Entertainment, and Travel, in USD billion, 2015 & 2016
B2C E-Commerce Sales, in AED billion, 2016, 2017 & 2021f
B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, in %, 2015 & 2016
3.4. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 - 2016
Online Shopper Penetration, in % of Internet Users, 2015 & 2016
Breakdown of Preferred Channels for Shopping, by In-Store and Online, in % of Consumers, January 2017
Breakdown of Frequency of Shopping Online, in % of Respondents, 2016
3.5. Products
Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
Top Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
3.6. Payment
Breakdown of Payment Methods Preferred in Online Shopping, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
3.7. Delivery
Retailers’ Perceptions of Customers’ Attitude to E-Commerce Delivery, in % of Respondents, October 2017
3.8. Players
B2C E-Commerce Players Overview, January 2018
Market Share of Amazon and Souq in B2C E-Commerce, in %, 2015 & 2016
Top 5 Online Shopping Websites, incl. Total Number of Visits, in millions, UAE’s Share of Total Visits, in %, Average Visit Duration, Pages Per Visit and Bounce Rate, December 2017
4. Saudi Arabia
4.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
4.2. Trends
Devices Used to Connect to the Internet, in % of Adults, March 2017
Share of Online Shoppers Who Make Purchases via Smartphone, in %, May 2017
Share of Online Shoppers Who Purchased via Social Media Sites or Applications, in %, May 2017
Origins of Online Purchases Made in the Previous 12 Months, in % of Online Shoppers, May 2017
4.3. Sales & Shares
B2C E-Commerce Sales, in SAR billion, 2016 and Annual Growth Forecast for the Next Years, in %, as of August 2017
E-Commerce Sales, by Airlines, Retail, Entertainment, and Travel, in USD billion, 2015 & 2016
Retail E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, 2015 – 2020f
B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, in % 2017e
4.4. Users & Shoppers
Number of Internet Users, in millions, and Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 – 2016 & Q2 2017
Online Shopper Penetration, in % of Respondents, May 2017
Breakdown of Frequency of Shopping Online, in % of Online Shoppers, May 2017
Breakdown of Perception of Security of Online Shopping, by Online Shoppers and Non-Online Shoppers, May 2017
4.5. Products
Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
Channels Used to Purchase Selected Product Categories, by Online, Offline and Both, in % of Respondents, May 2017
Channels Used to Purchase Selected Categories of Services, by Online, Offline and Both, in % of Respondents, May 2017
4.6. Payment
Breakdown of Payment Methods Preferred in Online Shopping, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
Breakdown of Payment Methods Most Used in Online Shops According to E-Commerce Merchants, in % of Surveyed E-Commerce Merchants, June 2017
4.7. Delivery
Problems Most Commonly Encountered by E-Commerce Merchants, in % of Surveyed E-Commerce Merchants, June 2017
4.8. Players
B2C E-Commerce Players Overview, January 2018
Website Traffic Shares of the Leading Online Shopping Websites, in %, February 2015 & February 2017
5. Israel
5.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
5.2. Trends
Breakdown of Devices Used to Access the Internet, in % of Respondents, May 2017
Breakdown of Online Shoppers by Domestic Shoppers Only, Domestic and Cross-Border Shoppers, and Cross-Border Shoppers Only, in %, October 2016
Number of Cross-Border Online Shoppers, in millions, 2013 & 2016
5.3. Sales & Shares
B2C E-Commerce Sales, by International and Local Sites, in ILS billion, 2013 & 2016
B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, in %, 2016
5.4. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 - 2016
Online Shopper Penetration, in % of Internet Users, 2016
Number of Online Shoppers, in millions, 2013 & 2016
Breakdown of Frequency of Online Shopping, in % of Respondents, May 2017
Perceived Advantages of Online Shopping, in % of Internet Users, September 2016
Perceived Disadvantages of Online Shopping, in % of Internet Users, September 2016
Average Number of Online Purchases, per Month and per Year, September 2016
5.5. Products
Breakdown of Spending on Selected Product Categories by Channel, According to Buyers in Each Category, in %, September 2016
5.6. Players
Top 5 Most Visited Online Shopping Sites, by Rank, by Local and International, June 2017
6. Iran
6.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
6.2. Sales & Shares
B2C E-Commerce Sales, in IRR billion, 2010 & 2015
B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, in %, 2017e & 2019f
6.3. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 - 2016
Selected Types of Activities Carried Out Online, incl. E-Commerce, in % of Internet Users, March 2016
6.4. Payment
Top 5 Merchant Acquirers, incl. Number of Transactions, in millions, Volume, in USD million, Number of Active Merchant Outlets and POS Terminals, 2016
Market Shares of the Top 3 Online Payment Gateway Operators, in %, December 2016
6.5. Players
Number of Certified Online Shops, in thousands, 2013-2017e
Number of Website Visits to Top 3 E-Commerce Websites, in millions, August 2016 & January 2017
Average Expenditure on the Last Online Purchase, in ILS, by Gender and Total, September 2016
7. Qatar
7.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
7.2. Trends
Devices Used to Access the Internet, in % of Adults, March 2017
7.3. Sales & Shares
Retail E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, 2015 & 2020f
B2C E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, 2015 - 2020f
7.4. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 – 2016
7.5. Products
Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
7.6. Payment
Payment Methods Preferred in E-Commerce, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
7.7. Players
Top 5 E-Commerce Websites, by Rank, December 2017
8. Kuwait
8.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
8.2. Sales & Shares
E-Commerce Sales, by Airlines, Retail, Entertainment, and Travel, in USD million, 2015 & 2016
Retail E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, 2015 & 2020f
8.3. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 - 2016
Online Shopper Penetration, in % of Internet Users, January 2016
Attitudes Towards Online Shopping, in % of Respondents, January 2016
8.4. Products
Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
8.5. Payment
Breakdown of Payment Methods Preferred in Online Shopping, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
9. Lebanon
9.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
9.2. Trends
Devices Used to Access the Internet, in % of Adults, March 2017
9.3. Sales & Shares
E-Commerce Sales, by Airlines, Retail, Entertainment, and Travel, in USD million, 2015 & 2016
9.4. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 – 2016
9.5. Products
Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
9.6. Payment
Payment Methods Preferred in E-Commerce, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
List of Selected Payment Providers, by Category, 2016
10. Bahrain
10.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
10.2. Trends
Selected Device Ownership, in % of Respondents, 2016
Mobile Shopper Penetration, in % of Respondents, 2016
10.3. Sales & Shares
Retail E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, 2015 & 2020f
10.4. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 - 2016
Activities Carried Out Online, incl. Online Shopping, in % of Internet Users, 2016
Barriers to Shopping Online, in % of Non-Online Shoppers, 2016
10.5. Products
Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2016
11. Oman
11.1. Overview
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, January 2018
11.2. Sales & Shares
Retail E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, 2015 & 2020f
11.3. Users & Shoppers
Internet Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2011 - 2016

Download our eBook: How to Succeed Using Market Research

Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.

Download eBook
Cookie Settings