Survey results also reveal that the nation’s online shopping population is one of the world’s youngest
Dubai is home to the highest number of online shoppers in the UAE despite having the world’s largest number of malls. That’s the result of a survey conducted by shopping platform awok.com, which tracks online retail trends throughout the country.
According to the company, nearly 46% of Dubai residents purchase goods online compared to just 27% in Abu Dhabi and 10% in Sharjah. Al Ain represents 4% of the nation’s online shoppers, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman 3% and Umm Al Quwain 2%. Fujairah makes up 1%.
“The world’s largest mall and the world’s highest number of malls are both found in Dubai, so it’s interesting that the city is home to the UAE’s largest number of online shoppers,” says Ulugbek Yuldashev, Managing Director of awok.com. “You might expect residents to do more shopping in person but purchasing goods online is now so convenient that they’re just as comfortable doing so through secure and reliable websites as they are on foot.”
Awok.com also reports that more than three quarters of the nation’s online shoppers are male and that 65% of all shoppers are between the ages 25 and 34, making the country’s online shopping population one of the world’s youngest.
“Only 26% of the nation’s online shoppers are above the age of 34, which suggests the UAE has one of the youngest online purchasing populations in the world. This is an indication of the country’s tech-savvy inhabitants, who are increasingly seeking quality products at competitive prices,” adds Yuldashev.
The results also showed that more than half of online transactions are executed via mobile phones and just 4% via tablets. Over 42% are carried out on a desktop.
Nearly 60% of online shoppers use Chrome, while 15% use Safari, 12% Android and just 5% Internet Explorer.