E-commerce boom in the UAE is irreversible, says CEO of Dubai’s Zbooni

E-commerce boom in the UAE is irreversible, says CEO of Dubai’s Zbooni

E-commerce is expected to continue to grow in the UAE, even as more people are getting vaccinated and life returns to semi-normal, according to the CEO of a Dubai-based digital enabler for small businesses.

SMEs can no longer afford to only have a brick and mortar presence if they are to remain competitive, said Ramy Assaf, co-founder and CEO of Zbooni.

“The way we see it, going digital as a business is almost irreversible. Once someone is running their business online in a more efficient and organised manner, they will not move backwards,” said Assaf.

“You need to be multi-dimensional as a small business and so they will likely go omnichannel, selling both online and offline," he added.

Launched in 2017, Zbooni, which means “my customer" in Arabic, enables small businesses to start, run and grow their own business by providing them with a comprehensive set of digital solutions including virtual store, software, invoicing and WhatsApp checkout solutions.

Ramy Assaf, co-founder and CEO of Zbooni

Assaf said he believes the UAE will be home to more e-startups in 2021 as more people see value in entrepreneurship.

“Last year proved that the UAE has a certain tenacity or resilience to it and this entrepreneurial spirit is coming alive.