UAE online retail
| Period | AED billions | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 17.6 | Reported |
| 2025 | 42.2 | Reported |
| 2030 forecast | 67.2 | Forecast |
Growth of 19% a year from 2020 to 2025; forecast 9.9% a year from 2026 to 2030.
Resources
Gulf ecommerce statistics
A short, sourced reference for the UAE and Saudi Arabia, reviewed 18 October 2026.
UAE
Share of UAE retail sold online
| Year | Share |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 15.7% |
| 2030 forecast | above 20% |
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: mada card e-commerce sales
| Period | SAR billions | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2024 | 44.4 | Reported |
| Q1 2025 | 69.3 | Reported |
+0% year on year (Q1 2025)
| Month | SAR billions |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 18.3 |
| Oct 2025 | 30.7 |
mada card e-commerce sales: online spending paid with mada cards on websites, apps and wallets. Credit cards are not included, so this is not the whole market.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2024 | SAR 44.4bn | Q1 2025: Saudi Central Bank data via the Saudi Press Agency, reported by Economy Middle East |
| Q4 2024 | SAR 55.2bn | Q1 2025: Saudi Central Bank data via the Saudi Press Agency, reported by Economy Middle East |
| Q1 2025 | SAR 69.3bn | Q1 2025: Saudi Central Bank data via the Saudi Press Agency, reported by Economy Middle East |
| Growth, Q1 2025 on Q1 2024 | +56% | Q1 2025: Saudi Central Bank data via the Saudi Press Agency, reported by Economy Middle East |
| October 2024 | SAR 18.3bn | October 2025: Saudi Central Bank statistical bulletin, reported by Gulfbase |
| October 2025 | SAR 30.7bn | October 2025: Saudi Central Bank statistical bulletin, reported by Gulfbase |
| Growth, October on October | +68% | October 2025: Saudi Central Bank statistical bulletin, reported by Gulfbase |
| Transactions in Q1 2025 | over 370 million | Q1 2025: Saudi Central Bank data via the Saudi Press Agency, reported by Economy Middle East |
mada card e-commerce sales: online spending paid with mada cards on websites, apps and wallets. Credit cards are not included, so this is not the whole market.
What this means for sellers
- Apparel and footwear leads UAE online spend, so fashion sellers face the most demand and the most competition: size and fit content, variations and returns-aware pricing matter most.
- Saudi card data points to strong growth, so Arabic content and local delivery promises deserve early attention.
- More growth makes advertising more competitive, so margin-based ACoS targets matter.
- Sales events need stock planned in advance.
Sources and method
- Euromonitor International, UAE e-commerce report 2026, via Zawya
- Q1 2025: Saudi Central Bank data via the Saudi Press Agency, reported by Economy Middle East
- October 2025: Saudi Central Bank statistical bulletin, reported by Gulfbase
- The Saudi figures are mada card sales and exclude credit cards.
- The forecasts are Euromonitor's.
- Figures from different sources are not directly comparable.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026. We update this page when new figures are published.
Gulf ecommerce questions
How big is ecommerce in the UAE?
AED 42.2bn in 2025, about 15.7% of retail sales, up from AED 17.6bn in 2020.
How fast is Saudi ecommerce growing?
mada card e-commerce sales were SAR 69.3bn in Q1 2025, 56% higher than in Q1 2024.
Which category is largest online in the UAE?
Apparel and footwear, at AED 11.4bn in 2025, followed by consumer electronics.
What share of UAE retail is online?
About 15.7% in 2025, forecast to pass 20% by 2030.
What does mada e-commerce data include?
Online spending paid with mada cards on websites, apps and wallets. Credit cards are not included.
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