Dr Karen Remo with Hassan Mikail, Middle East CEO of Shipa E-commerce at GTR MENA 2021
New Perspective Media Group CEO Dr. Karen Remo facilitated a session on top e-commerce barriers and opportunities in GCC at the Global Trade Review Middle East and North Africa (GTR MENA) 2021, the region’s biggest trade finance conference on 22 September 2021.
The special in-person event at Jumeirah Emirates Towers touched upon informative insights on the factors fueling e-commerce growth, crucial tools/frameworks to advance across the highly competitive landscape, as well as Dubai’s key role in harnessing the lucrative African e-commerce market.
The discussion titled “Case study: The rapid rise of e-commerce”, featured Hassan Mikail, Middle East CEO of Shipa E-commerce, on topics revolving around market size disparity amongst regions, barriers in e-commerce revolution, and cross-border logistic issues.
The conference provided an exclusive opportunity for participants to network and connect with experts, industry peers and potential clients, all within a Covid-safe environment in line with the latest government regulations.
Ahmad Sultan Al Haddad, CEO, Park & Zones, DP World, UAE Region, delivered the keynote address at the event. He spoke about celebrating the resilience of international trade following the exhausting challenges of the pandemic. His speech offered a positive vision of the future concerning global trade and the role of the MENA region in providing the necessary impetus for wider international recovery.
Dr. Remo said: “The e-commerce market in the GCC is, as per estimates, set to reach $50 billion by 2025. Businesses should step up and take advantage of this booming business, which has been growing on the back of COVID-spurred digitalisation. However, less than 4 out of 10 SMEs in the UAE have as yet adopted online sales channels, and any smaller players that lack a clear marketing strategy and communication model are at risk of being pushed to the end.”
“To fully view and seize the opportunities on the horizon, it’s vital for SMEs to speak to customers in an effective, targeted manner as well as identify and remove obstacles. New Perspective Media is delighted to have facilitated knowledge-based discussions on the forces that are reshaping the modern online marketplace,” Remo added.
Mikail stated: “We’re at a crucial turning point for e-commerce in the GCC region. At an unprecedented 25% CAGR per month, it’s now one of the world’s fastest-growing online sales markets and we’re still seeing more growth potential in the cross-border segment. A chain of links such as logistics, digital infrastructure, and delivery capabilities forms part of the e-commerce ecosystem. On one hand, any weak link here can break the chain or, at least, damage consumer trust. On the other hand, strengthening the chain can accelerate business, bring many new consumers on board, and increase the average basket size for each purchase of a service or goods. We at Shipa Ecommerce are glad to share our expertise to help unlock e-commerce’s full potential in the region.”
Peter Gubbins, CEO & Founder of Global Trade Review, highlighted: “Global Trade Review is delighted to return to Dubai for GTR MENA 2021, with the goal of uniting the trade and exports sector in the region to learn best practices and approaches to forge a strong path to recovery. This is the first-of-its-kind event in the region to be held in-person since February 2020, and offers an exclusive opportunity for participants to network potential clients and connect with experts and industry peers.”
Dr. Remo was also featured in the opening high-level roundtable in GTR MENA 2021, held virtually in February 2021, where she offered invaluable insights on combating extreme market challenges and future ‘black swan’ events, and protecting supply chains through government support.
NPM Group, the official media partner of GTR MENA 2021, has been championing the global trade industry by building confidence in the sector through various bespoke communications services.