Amazon Wednesday announced the launch of Amazon.sa, a dedicated store for customers in Saudi Arabia that features millions of products from both local and international businesses, including products from Amazon US. Customers shopping on Amazon.sa will enjoy great prices and fast delivery across 34 categories, including electronics, apparel, home and kitchen, and grocery. Amazon acquired Souq.com in 2017 and is now automatically redirecting Souq.com customers to the newly rolled-out Amazon.sa store. All existing Souq.com customer credentials, wish lists, orders, delivery addresses, payment methods and customer support queries have been converted to new Amazon.sa accounts. Built upon Amazon's existing investments in Souq.com, customers in Saudi Arabia are now able to shop on Amazon.sa in Arabic and English by using the Amazon shopping app or by visiting www.amazon.sa. Both the app and the website will offer a rich Arabic browsing experience, accurate search results, trusted product reviews, personalized recommendations and simple order management, all backed by Arabic language customer support. Ronaldo Mouchawar, vice president of Amazon MENA and co-founder of Souq.com, said: "Today marks a key milestone in Amazon's promise to customers and businesses across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "With Amazon.sa, we want to provide what customers have been asking us for: the ability to shop a broader selection of both local products and international goods from Amazon. "Partnering closely with our local and global sellers, we will continue to delight customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by growing our product range while ensuring great prices, fast delivery, and a convenient and trusted shopping experience." Customers shopping on Amazon.sa will enjoy free next day delivery on orders above SR200, as well as the option of paid same day delivery to select areas in Saudi Arabia. Amazon's global expertise in logistics will provide accurate delivery and shipment tracking, and Amazon will continue to invest in ways to further improve the delivery experience. Shoppers can search for their favorite products and pay in riyals 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. Ziyad Bin Bandar Al-Yousef Saudi Payments' managing director, said: "This new partnership with Amazon will only serve to strengthen the Kingdom's digital transformation in the payments sector. Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce companies and the partnership will encourage Saudi consumers to continue the move towards digital payments." Amazon in Saudi Arabia Amazon is 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: "The Amazon.sa launch reaffirms our commitment to customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "As we launch today, thousands of Saudi businesses use Amazon.sa to reach their customers and we look forward to growing this number further in the coming years." Dr. Fatani added: "I am particularly proud that Saudi women make up approximately 40% of the workforce at our newest 226,000 square-foot Jeddah facility. "We will continue innovating for customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and supporting local businesses as we bring them closer to their customers through our advanced logistics networks." Saudi Post Continues to Provide Logistics Services to Amazon.sa Amazon has been working with the Saudi Post since 2019 to enhance its last mile capabilities. As Souq.com becomes Amazon.sa, Saudi Post will continue to be a strategic delivery partner for the company in the the coming period. Eng. Anef Abanomi, president of the Saudi Post Corporation, commented: "We have been working with Amazon since 2019 to deliver packages to Souq.com customers across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "As Souq.com rebrands to Amazon.sa, we are looking forward to supporting even more customer deliveries in Saudi Arabia through this next chapter in our collaboration with Amazon, continuing our strategic transformation." Amazon.sa Offers Growth Opportunities for Saudi Businesses – Big and Small Saudi businesses of all sizes can now begin selling their products on Amazon.sa with access to easy listing tools, payment processing, promotional features to help them get discovered by customers, and simplified logistics solutions with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). In 2019, nearly 225,000 small and medium-sized businesses surpassed $100,000 in sales in Amazon's stores worldwide. Saudi companies interested in selling on Amazon.sa can find more information on https://services.amazon.sa/. All aspiring entrepreneurs, regardless of their experience or business know-how, have access to the Amazon resources, products and tools that they need to help grow a business. Abdulaziz Tamimi, CEO Tamimi Markets commented, "Tamimi Markets is excited to be on Amazon.sa as of the first date of its launch." He added, "We are happy to bring our customers in Saudi Arabia close to a wide variety of local and international products." Safeguarding Our Workforce and Communities During COVID-19 Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Amazon has been closely following the safety measures set out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health. Focusing on ensuring the highest safety and hygiene standards across all its facilities and delivery network, Amazon has implemented more than 150 proactive safety measures including increased cleaning, providing masks, gloves and temperature checks for our workforce, as well as implementing physical distancing practices. As communities in Saudi Arabia and around the world integrate physical distancing into different aspects of their daily lives, Amazon recognizes the unique and growing role it is playing to ensure people's needs are fulfilled while they stay safe at home. "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," Mouchawar added. To experience Amazon.sa today, please visit the website on your desktop or mobile browser or download the Amazon app. If you already have the Amazon app, please select ‘Saudi Arabia' from the settings. — SG
