Key UAE e-commerce statistics for 2026
- The UAE e-commerce market was worth AED42.2 billion (US$11.5 billion) in 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
- UAE e-commerce grew at a compound annual rate of 19.0% between 2020 and 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
- E-commerce made up about 15.7% of total UAE retail sales in 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
- More than half of UAE online shopping in every category was done on mobile phones in 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned))
- Apparel and footwear was the largest UAE e-commerce category in 2025 at AED11.4 billion (US$3.1 billion). (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
- Amazon is the most popular online marketplace in the UAE, cited by 84% of UAE shoppers and 87% of UAE e-commerce businesses. (DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
- 87% of UAE online shoppers paid by credit or debit card in 2025, down from 93% in 2024. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned))
- Free delivery is the most wanted delivery feature, chosen by 51% of UAE online shoppers. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned))
- 69% of UAE consumers have bought products directly through social media platforms. (Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
- 85% of UAE consumers have used AI tools to help them shop, most often to check reviews (60%) and compare prices (59%). (Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
- Dubai Customs raised the duty-free limit for cross-border e-commerce shipments from AED300 to AED1,000 (CIF value), effective 3 August 2026. (Dubai Customs, Sep 2026)
- 46% of UAE consumers experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. (Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
How to cite this page. Use any figure here, credit the original source shown next to it, and link to this page: "UAE E-commerce Statistics 2026: Market Size, Shoppers & Payments, Adjoltz, updated 15 October 2026, https://adjoltz.com/blog/uae-ecommerce-statistics/".
How big is the UAE e-commerce market?
The UAE e-commerce market was worth AED42.2 billion (US$11.5 billion) in 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| UAE e-commerce was worth AED17.6 billion (US$4.8 billion) in 2020, on the current (2026) edition of the series. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| UAE e-commerce is forecast to reach about AED67.2 billion (US$18.3 billion) by 2030. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| UAE mobile commerce grew from US$3.8 billion in 2020 to US$10.1 billion in 2025. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| UAE mobile commerce is forecast to reach US$18.0 billion by 2030. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| The previous (5th) edition of the EZDubai report put UAE e-commerce at AED32.3 billion (US$8.8 billion) in 2024. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, May 2025 (estimate) |
| The UAE accounted for 8% of MENASA e-commerce value in 2025, behind India (66%) and Saudi Arabia (11%). | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| MENASA e-commerce more than doubled from US$63.2 billion in 2020 to US$141.4 billion (AED519.2 billion) in 2025. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
The 2025 and 2026 editions of the EZDubai report use different methods. US$8.8bn (2024) and US$11.5bn (2025) are not one series, so don't read the gap as a year's growth.
How fast is UAE e-commerce growing?
UAE e-commerce grew at a compound annual rate of 19.0% between 2020 and 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Growth is forecast to slow to 9.9% a year in 2026 to 2030, driven more by payment innovation than by new shoppers. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| The number of online orders in the UAE rose by about 7% in 2024 compared with 2023. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, May 2025 (commissioned) |
| In 2026, 25.7% of active UAE Visa cards made 10 or more online or in-app payments a month, up from 4.5% in 2018. | Visa, Oct 2026 |
| Saudi e-commerce grew 19.3% a year in 2020 to 2025, close to the UAE, but is forecast to slow to 8.3% a year in 2026 to 2030. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
What share of UAE retail sales is online?
E-commerce made up about 15.7% of total UAE retail sales in 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| E-commerce is forecast to pass 20% of UAE retail sales by 2030. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| The previous (5th) edition put UAE e-commerce penetration at 14% of retail sales in 2024, against 8% in Saudi Arabia. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, May 2025 (estimate) |
| Online and in-app payments made up 55% of domestic Visa payment volume in the UAE in 2026, up from 35% in 2019. | Visa, Oct 2026 |
| E-commerce was about 7.5% of retail sales across MENASA in 2025, against a global average of 8.5%, with the UAE significantly above the regional average. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
How do people in the UAE shop online?
More than half of UAE online shopping in every category was done on mobile phones in 2025. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 67% of UAE consumers used their phone as part of their latest retail purchase, up 23% since 2022. | Visa Acceptance Solutions with PYMNTS Intelligence, Jul 2025 (commissioned) |
| 38% of UAE shoppers made their most recent retail purchase online, by phone or computer, for home delivery. | Visa Acceptance Solutions with PYMNTS Intelligence, Jul 2025 (commissioned) |
| The UAE has the highest rate of online shopping on mobile devices of the eight markets studied, at 37%, ahead of Singapore (34.8%) and the UK (27.6%). | Visa Acceptance Solutions with PYMNTS Intelligence, Jul 2025 (commissioned) |
| 53% of UAE consumers want to shop across channels (stores, online and devices), the second-highest rate in the study. | Visa Acceptance Solutions with PYMNTS Intelligence, Jul 2025 (commissioned) |
| 75% of UAE shoppers prefer retailers with rewards programmes, among the highest rates worldwide. | Visa Acceptance Solutions with PYMNTS Intelligence, Jul 2025 (commissioned) |
| 52% of UAE shoppers expect to browse and buy more through retailer websites over the next five years. | DHL, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 66% of UAE shoppers completely or mostly trust retailers’ offers and prices during seasonal holiday sales, against 54% globally. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
What do people in the UAE buy online?
Apparel and footwear was the largest UAE e-commerce category in 2025 at AED11.4 billion (US$3.1 billion). (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Consumer electronics was the second-largest UAE e-commerce category in 2025 at US$2.7 billion. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| Home care was the third-largest UAE e-commerce category in 2025 at US$2.0 billion. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| Consumer appliances are forecast to be the fastest-growing UAE e-commerce category, at 18.5% a year in 2026 to 2030. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| Beauty and personal care e-commerce in the UAE is forecast to grow 13.5% a year in 2026 to 2030. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| Home care e-commerce in the UAE is forecast to grow 10.4% a year in 2026 to 2030. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
Which online marketplaces lead in the UAE?
Amazon is the most popular online marketplace in the UAE, cited by 84% of UAE shoppers and 87% of UAE e-commerce businesses. (DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 51% of UAE shoppers expect to shop more on online marketplaces over the next five years. | DHL, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 64% of UAE e-commerce businesses expect more customer activity through online marketplaces over the next five years. | DHL, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| Online sales made up 17.0% of Spinneys’ sales in 2025, up from 14.1% in 2024. | Spinneys, Feb 2026 |
| Online sales reached 19.1% of Spinneys’ sales in the first half of 2026, up from 16.2% a year earlier. | Spinneys, Aug 2026 |
| In Saudi Arabia the most popular marketplace is Shein for shoppers (81%) and noon.com for businesses (85%), while Amazon leads in the UAE. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
No source publishes marketplace market shares for the UAE.
How do UAE shoppers pay online?
87% of UAE online shoppers paid by credit or debit card in 2025, down from 93% in 2024. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 67% of UAE online shoppers used cash (cash on delivery) in 2025, down from 70% in 2024. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 52% of UAE online shoppers used a digital wallet in 2025. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 77% of UAE shoppers say a wide range of payment options influences where they shop. | Visa Acceptance Solutions with PYMNTS Intelligence, Jul 2025 (commissioned) |
Shoppers could pick more than one payment method, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Our UAE digital payments statistics page goes deeper.
What do UAE shoppers expect from delivery?
Free delivery is the most wanted delivery feature, chosen by 51% of UAE online shoppers. (EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 45% of UAE online shoppers want free returns. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 37% of UAE online shoppers want package tracking. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 36% of UAE online shoppers want the option to pay cash on delivery. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 30% of UAE online shoppers want delivery in 30 minutes or less. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 76% of UAE consumers are comfortable with deliveries based on their geolocation (a live pin rather than an address). | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 52% of UAE consumers would be more comfortable letting a robot rather than a human into trusted places to make a delivery. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 84% of UAE shoppers mostly have orders delivered to their home, against 12% to parcel lockers. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 73% of UAE shoppers mostly return items through collection from home, against 23% via parcel lockers. | DHL, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 64% of UAE shoppers pay for a delivery and returns subscription with an online retailer, against 40% globally. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 73% of UAE e-commerce businesses offer a paid delivery and returns subscription, and a further 24% plan to. | DHL, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
How much do UAE shoppers buy through social media?
69% of UAE consumers have bought products directly through social media platforms. (Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 68% of UAE online shoppers have bought through Facebook (63% globally). | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 67% of UAE online shoppers have bought through Instagram (48% globally). | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 57% of UAE online shoppers have bought through TikTok (50% globally). | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 41% of UAE online shoppers have bought through YouTube (29% globally). | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 56% of UAE consumers have bought products through livestream shopping. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 70% of UAE consumers use YouTube to find information about products and brands. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, Sep 2026 (commissioned) |
| 36% of UAE shoppers expect to shop more via social media over the next five years. | DHL, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
How are AI tools changing online shopping in the UAE?
85% of UAE consumers have used AI tools to help them shop, most often to check reviews (60%) and compare prices (59%). (Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 51% of UAE online shoppers use AI-powered chat tools when shopping, placing the UAE among the top markets surveyed. | DHL, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 91% of UAE e-commerce businesses use some form of AI on their platforms, against 67% globally. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| Only 32% of UAE consumers would trust an AI agent to complete checkout for them. | Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 37% of UAE shoppers expect to shop more through AI-powered chat or virtual assistants over the next five years. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| Automated and AI-driven fulfilment is the top investment priority for UAE e-commerce businesses over the next 12 months, named by 47% (33% globally). | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
What are the rules for cross-border e-commerce in Dubai?
Dubai Customs raised the duty-free limit for cross-border e-commerce shipments from AED300 to AED1,000 (CIF value), effective 3 August 2026. (Dubai Customs, Sep 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Duty already paid on cross-border e-commerce goods is refunded if the goods are returned within 60 days of leaving Dubai. | Dubai Customs, Jul 2026 |
| Dubai Customs’ Free Zone Department handled more than 6.2 million postal parcels in the first half of 2026, which it cites as a sign of growing e-commerce. | Dubai Customs, Aug 2026 |
| Dubai’s air cargo centres processed about 18.2 million customs transactions in the first half of 2026, up nearly 53% from 11.9 million a year earlier. | Dubai Customs, Aug 2026 |
| Customs transactions at Dubai’s air cargo free zone rose 62% to about 17.7 million in the first half of 2026, a rise Dubai Customs attributes to e-commerce. | Dubai Customs, Aug 2026 |
| 38% of UAE shoppers expect to buy more from international retailers over the next five years. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
The AED1,000 limit is a Dubai Customs rule. The air cargo transaction counts cover all air cargo, not only e-commerce.
What problems do UAE online shoppers run into?
46% of UAE consumers experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. (Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 38% of UAE scam victims said the scam happened on social media, more than on websites, marketplaces or shopping apps. | Visa, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 71% of UAE consumers worried that friends or family could fall victim to an online scam during the 2025 holiday season. | Visa, Dec 2025 (commissioned) |
| A faulty or poor-quality item is the top reason UAE shoppers return online purchases, cited by 57%, with wrong size next at 54%. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 22% of UAE shoppers have returned online purchases because of customs delays or charges, against 15% globally. | DHL E-Commerce Trends, Jun 2026 (commissioned) |
| 11 leading e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Noon, signed the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s voluntary pledge that products sold online meet UAE standards. | EZDubai and Euromonitor, May 2025 (commissioned) |
How we built this page
Every figure comes from the organisation that produced it: government bodies and regulators, company filings and official documents, and original research by the organisation that ran it. We opened each source, confirmed the number on the page and kept the exact wording in a verification sheet, checked on 15 October 2026. Market size and growth figures are Euromonitor estimates published by EZDubai, and survey figures from DHL and Visa are labelled as commissioned. Paywalled market-size estimates (IMARC, Statista, ECDB and others) are left out. Research paid for by a company with an interest in the result is labelled "commissioned", and modelled figures are labelled "estimate". We check every source link monthly and refresh the numbers each quarter.
Sources
- DHL (press release on the DHL eCommerce Trends Report 2026), DHL E-Commerce Trends Report 2026: UAE stands out as a fast-moving e-commerce market (2026-06-23)
- DHL eCommerce, 2026 E-Commerce Trends Report (2026-06)
- Dubai Customs, Customs Notice No. (16/2026) Amending Customs Notice No. (15/2021) concerning Customs Procedures for Cross-Border E-Commerce (2026-07-30)
- Dubai Customs, Dubai Customs Turns Speed Into Value: Air Cargo Transactions Surge 53% in H1 2026 (2026-08-31)
- Dubai Customs, Dubai Customs Showcases Its Initiatives to Empower the Business Community (2026-09-04)
- EZDubai (Dubai South) with Euromonitor International, E-commerce Report 2025 (Light Version), 5th edition (2025-05)
- EZDubai (Dubai South) with Euromonitor International; statement carried by WAM (Emirates News Agency), UAE e-commerce market reaches AED32.3 billion in 2024: EZDUBAI (2025-05-21)
- EZDubai Logistics Hub (Dubai South) with Euromonitor International, E-commerce in MENASA 2026 (6th edition of the EZDubai annual e-commerce report) (2026-09)
- EZDubai Logistics Hub (Dubai South) with Euromonitor International; statement carried by WAM (Emirates News Agency), UAE E-commerce market size reaches AED42.2 billion in 2025 (2026-09-28)
- Spinneys 1961 Holding PLC (DFM-listed), Spinneys FY2025 results press release (Q4 2025 earnings pack) (2026-02-11)
- Spinneys 1961 Holding PLC (DFM-listed), Spinneys H1 2026 results press release (Q2 2026 earnings pack) (2026-08-10)
- Visa (Stay Secure study, conducted by Wakefield Research), Visa Study: 85% in UAE Use AI to Shop, But Trust is Key at Checkout (2026-06-09)
- Visa (survey by Morning Consult), Visa Releases 2025 Spending Shift Survey Data: AI Transforming How UAE Consumers Shop and Spend (2025-12-08)
- Visa Acceptance Solutions with PYMNTS Intelligence, UAE Leads World in Mobile Shopping: Visa Acceptance Solutions – PYMNTS Intelligence Study (2025 Global Digital Shopping Index, UAE edition) (2025-07-02)
- Visa Business and Economic Insights (VisaNet data), Visa data reveals the UAE’s “Couch Economy”, with online and in-app payments exceeding half of domestic payment volume (2026-10-12)
