• Collaboration to support Dubai-based sellers to establish a digital presence, expand to new markets, and reach sustainable growth
  • Part of the wider Dubai Traders initiative announced under the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) to help small businesses scale up

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has signed a pioneering partnership agreement with noon, the local digital champion, to launch an e-commerce program to further bolster the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Dubai.

The partnership falls under the wider Dubai Traders initiative, one of the ten transformative initiatives announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as part of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to empower Dubai-based SMEs to adopt new digital tools and channels so they can scale domestically and internationally. Dubai Traders will pave the way for Dubai to consolidate its position as a global hub for entrepreneurship and SME growth, supporting SMEs to build a branded online presence, digitise supply chain processes, and access e-commerce channels. The initiative is focused on forging close private sector partnerships with leading B2B, B2C, and specialised digital solution providers, to leverage their expertise and strengths to provide a suite of tools, incentives, and support mechanisms for SMEs to engage and transact with online customers.

In the presence of H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Noon, the partnership agreement was signed by Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), and Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon.

At the outset, the program will focus on the e-commerce vertical to allow SMEs to build a comprehensive e-commerce presence and thrive in the digital marketplace. Through the partnership with noon, Dubai Traders will offer an onboarding incentive package to encourage both first-time and experienced sellers to get online and benefit from enhanced visibility on the noon e-commerce platform. Emirati sellers can avail additional benefits, including personalised support through noon’s Mahali program.

Exclusive incentives and support for Dubai Traders program participants include:

Onboarding support: A bespoke onboarding journey with dedicated day-to-day account management to expedite and facilitate the sign up and set up process

Trainings: Access to curated workshops, seminars, and sales insights throughout the selling journey

Increased seller exposure and visibility: Advertising credit packages and prioritised online product placements on noon platforms

Rapid delivery: Preferential access for eligible sellers to noon’s quick-commerce platform (15-minutes delivery model)

Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation at DET, commented: “SMEs are the backbone of Dubai’s economy and a critical enabler to accelerate economic growth. We welcome noon as a strategic partner in the Dubai Traders program, reflecting our joint commitment towards delivering on the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. By directly supporting and investing in the success of local SMEs, the Dubai Traders program serves to unlock the digital potential of Dubai-based sellers and will directly contribute to growing the emirate’s digital economy and fostering innovation. By harnessing e-commerce as a powerful tool to digitise traditional SMEs, we aim to equip businesses with the essential tools to engage with new customers and share their propositions with new markets.”

Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon, commented: “One of noon.com's core objectives has always been to empower local entrepreneurs and foster a vibrant e-commerce environment, providing all sellers, regardless of their scale, an equal opportunity to succeed. With the introduction of the Dubai Traders initiative, we are proud to work alongside our partners at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism to offer Dubai-based entrepreneurs and SMEs a new avenue to extend their online presence and reach using noon’s tools and fleet.”

The partnership between DET and noon underlines the unique model of collaboration between government and the private sector in Dubai to leverage key strengths and knowledge-share, and create a unique and compelling value proposition to support Dubai’s SME ecosystem. Through noon’s expertise and track-record, this collaboration marks a significant stepping stone in driving the Dubai Traders initiative’s vision, and D33 ambitions.

For more details and to sign up to the program please visit https://www.noon.com/uae-en/det/

About Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)

With the ultimate vision of making Dubai the world’s leading commercial centre, investment hub and tourism destination, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is mandated to support the Government in positioning the emirate as a major hub for global economy and tourism, and in boosting the city’s economic and tourism competitiveness indicators, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the size of the emirate’s economy and consolidate its position among the top three global cities over the next decade.

Under this remit, DET is driving efforts to further enhance Dubai’s diversified, innovative service-based economy to attract top global talent, deliver a world-class business environment and accelerate productivity growth. Additionally, DET is supporting Dubai’s vision to become the world’s best city to visit, live and work in by promoting its diverse destination proposition, unique lifestyle and outstanding quality of life, overall.

DET is the principal authority for planning, supervising, developing and marketing Dubai’s business and tourism sectors. It is also responsible for licensing and classifying all types of businesses, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. DET’s portfolio includes Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), Dubai Business Licence Corporation (DBLC), Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT), Dubai SME, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) and Dubai College of Tourism (DCT). 

About noon.com

noon.com was founded with the objective of fostering an ecosystem of regionally based digital companies in order to secure the region's digital landscape's future. noon's mission is to provide customers and companies in the Middle East region with outstanding value and support. On December 12th, 2017, noon launched its consumer platform in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. noon debuted in Egypt in February 2019 and has since evolved to become the largest online shopping destination in the Middle East. Primarily a digital e-commerce platform powered by in-house technological talent, noon has swiftly developed strong native capabilities throughout its marketplace, fulfilment, logistics, and payment systems.