Souq.com becomes Amazon.sa in Saudi Arabia

E-commerce giant Amazon has announced the launch of Amazon.sa, replacing souq.com in Saudi Arabia, three years after its acquisition of the Dubai-headquartered company.

Customers are automatically redirected from Souq.com to the newly rolled-out Amazon.sa store. All existing Souq customer credentials, wish lists, orders, delivery addresses, payment methods and customer support queries have been converted to new Amazon.sa accounts, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Customers will have free next-day delivery on orders above SAR200, as well as the option of paid same-day delivery to select areas in Saudi Arabia as Souq.com becomes Amazon.sa. Saudi Post will continue to be a strategic delivery partner for the company in the coming period.

The US-based firm had acquired Souq.com in 2017 for approximately Dh2.1 billion.

Saudi businesses of all sizes can now begin selling their products on Amazon.sa. In 2019, nearly 225,000 small and medium-sized businesses surpassed $100,000 in sales in Amazon's stores worldwide.

"In the past few months, many customers have turned to online shopping to find their everyday needs. We are committed to doing everything we can to support our customers, and to keep our employees and customers safe. We are using our ability to innovate quickly to support people's needs, while investing to unlock growth opportunities for local businesses," said Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice-President of Amazon Mena and Co-Founder of Souq.com.

It is estimated that Saudi e-commerce market will reach over $6 billion 2020 and will grow to nearly $8 billion by 2024.

Shoppers can pay in Saudi riyal using local and international debit and credit cards, including cards issued by Mada, Visa, and Mastercard, in addition to the option of cash on delivery (COD) and installments from select Saudi banks.

Amazon is also building a local logistics and operations network spanning the Kingdom, and already operates three fulfillment centers and 11 delivery stations across Saudi Arabia, from Arar to Jazan, Makkah to Dammam and a new fulfillment center in Jeddah, with a workforce of more than 1,400.

Dr. Rafid bin Amin Fatani, Amazon's Head of Public Policy in Africa and the Middle East, said Saudi women make up approximately 40 per cent of the workforce at its new 226,000 square-foot Jeddah facility.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com