The UAE’s e-commerce industry is experiencing record growth and is set to expand from its current value of US$2.5 billion (AED9.2 billion) to US$10 billion by 2018, according to a recent survey by MasterCard. As the fastest-growing industry in the UAE, this explosion in growth can be attributed to the nation’s large number of Internet users. According to Internet World Stats*, around 93% of the UAE population used the Internet.
Boasting one of the most advanced telecoms sectors in the Middle East, the UAE is a natural home for start-ups, e-commerce players and investors. Adham Saleh founded EZHeights.com after identifying an opportunity within the Emirates for a social online market place. Since its launch, EZHeights.com has recorded a steady month-on-month increase in site visits and listings postings.
“EZHeights.com was launched in response to a strong need in the UAE marketplace for a free-to-use listings site driven by the ever-evolving needs of online consumers,” says Adham Saleh, Managing Director of EZHeights.com.
“The number of listings has dramatically increased since the first month of operation,” he continues. “Less than 12 months since the site was launched, it now boasts 50,000 registered users and 5,000 unique visitors daily. When we first launched we were getting 5-10 adverts posted a day and now we are averaging at least 100.”
“Site facilities like social media capabilities and the ability to automatically schedule property viewings have been instrumental in our growth, and we’ve seen a huge growth amongst users for these elements in particular,” he added.
Categories such as motors, property and jobs receive the most site visitors and attract the most listings.
* Internet World Stats, last updated 30th November 2015