Two recent Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry workshops held
at the chamber’s main offices in Deira helped to identify and capitalize on the
trend away from conventional commerce to that of a cloud-based economy.
Sessions led by chamber specialists encouraged participants
to prepare for the already apparent shift toward e-commerce in the emirate as
well as across many GCC nations.
“Internet usage is rapidly growing, but B2B online commerce
remains underdeveloped in the region,” Belaid Rettab, senior director for
economic research and sustainable business development at Dubai Chamber, said.
Noting
advance predictions of e-commerce revenues in the GCC based on 2015 research by
Frost & Sullivan, Rettab said that the UAE had the highest internet
penetration rate and electronic market in the entire Gulf region in 2014; and by
2020, it could sustain well over half of the GCC market share.
“Such expansion translates into myriad opportunities for
innovative MENA businesses who want to expand their market reach,” Rettab said.
A variety of outcomes from the sessions included a review of
the partnership between Dubai Chamber and Alibaba, the MENA region’s leading
global e-commerce platform for SMEs; and creation of the “Trusted Member” label
for vetting new merchants’ credit ratings.
Alibaba’s partnership with the chamber has also yielded a
one-stop sourcing platform solution. Additionally, the events highlighted the
value of B2B commerce and SEO practices. B2B is expected to provide the
foundation for widespread economic growth in Dubai in alignment with the jurisdiction’s
smart city initiatives and the 2021 plan.
