Souq.com, the largest online retail and marketplace program
in the Middle East, announced that it has launched a Microsoft online store,
which gives consumers in the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates an exclusive
destination to shop for Microsoft products.
The online store, which will be accessible from Souq.com,
will offer shipping, 24/7 online site access and customer support for all of
its brands, such as Xbox, Surface and Lumia.
“The Gulf region has shown incredible growth in the
online shopping space,” Tony Gebran, Regional Director, Retail Sales and
Marketing, Microsoft Middle East and Africa, said. “The United Arab
Emirates, for example, leads the Middle East in e-sales volumes, with some
forecasts indicating a $10 billion market in the country by 2018. Moreover, in Saudi Arabia alone, the
e-commerce market is set to hit $10.8 billion by 2020 compared with a projected
$6.8 billion in 2016.”
Gebran noted that these figures make a partnership with the
Gulf’s leading e-commerce provider a great fit. Souq.com’s CEO & Co-Founder,
Ronaldo Mouchawar, agreed. He said he believes Microsoft is an ideal partner due to its
reach and reputation.
“This partnership will allow Microsoft to maintain its brand
identity, as well as benefitting from our online prowess, back-end technology
and logistics,” Mouchawar said. “We are constantly investing in technology and
infrastructure to help brands grow autonomously so we feel Microsoft has an
exciting future with us as it expands across the region.”
