As part of its participation at Seamless Middle East 2022 as a partner and exhibitor, Dubai CommerCity, the first and leading e-commerce free zone in the region, highlighted its incorporation of the latest technology trends in its services. The free zone ensures the adoption of advanced technologies to facilitate the process of setting up new e-commerce businesses and drive the growth of the industry.
As part of Seamless 2022, representatives from Dubai CommerCity, part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), and joint venture with the property developer Wasl, delivered keynote presentations and took part in insightful panel discussions.
As part of his keynote presentation on the advantages of setting up an e-commerce business in a free zone, Abdulrahman Shaheen, Senior Vice President of Operations at Dubai CommerCity, discussed the importance of Blockchain for enabling seamless trade, highlighting Dubai CommerCity’s collaboration with Dubai Customs to launch the free zone’s own blockchain node. The blockchain node will be offered to Dubai CommerCity’s tenants, lowering their implementation cost significantly and allowing them to leverage the operational efficiencies.
Shaheen said: “Incorporating blockchain brings major benefits to our clients, which include a reduced cost for e-commerce, allowing importing goods to the local market from the free zone, automated declaration, reduced charges, easy return of goods, automated duty refunds, an integrated and uniform gate-pass process, and reduced documentation.”
Shaheen discussed how a free zone could benefit a business through bringing it closer to the customer, and providing ease of reverse logistics and marketplace fulfilment. Shaheen highlighted that 80% of purchased items in the Middle East are fulfilled across the border. He also stressed the significant growth in the e-commerce industry, where e-commerce sales in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are expected to reach around $50bn this year, an increase of 163% in just 5 years.
Mitch Bittermann, Senior Vice President of Commercials at Dubai CommerCity, delivered a presentation entitled “Global retail and e-commerce trends and their adaptability for the Middle East”. According to Bittermann, some of the most significant e-commerce trends include conversational commerce, super-apps, and the metaverse. In addition, some retail trends include the beacon technology, digital experience mall, contactless shopping, micro-fulfilment centres within shopping malls, among others.
On the second Day on Seamless Middle East, Rashed Al Mulla, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Dubai CommerCity, will discuss the key factors that will guide companies on how to build trust in the marketplace.
Taking place from 31 May – 1 June, Seamless Middle East 2022 brings together hundreds of representatives of startups, innovators, and business leaders in the fields of financial technology, e-commerce, and retail.
