Amazon to launch its own platform in Egypt

US e-commerce company has been operating in the Arab world’s most populous country since 2017 through souq.com, a Middle East online retailer it acquired

Amazon operates a widespread local logistics and operations network across Egypt. Reuters

Amazon, which has been operating in Egypt since 2017 through its company Souq.com, will launch a dedicated platform called amazon.eg in the Arab world’s most populous country by the end of this year.

Retailers already selling on Souq.com in Egypt will now be provided access to Amazon Seller Central – the company’s seller management tool. It is now open for registration where sellers can set up their accounts, Amazon said on Monday.

“The introduction of Amazon Seller Central in Egypt is a key milestone in our journey to continue supporting local Egyptian businesses of all sizes,” said Omar Elsahy, general manager of Amazon and souq.com in Egypt.

Amazon launched amazon.ae in the UAE in May 2019 after acquiring the home-grown e-commerce company Souq for $580 million in 2017. It launched amazon.sa in Saudi Arabia in June last year.

Currently, small and medium enterprises account for more than half of everything on Amazon’s online stores globally.

Amazon's local websites offer a range of tools and programmes to businesses, allowing them to grow their operations. The sellers can also create campaigns to enhance visibility for their products and run promotions in the form of coupons any time of the year.

“The largest household brands, as well as emerging ones, all sell on Amazon globally … and we are excited to bring this experience to the thousands of diverse sellers in Egypt in preparation of the launch of Amazon.eg,” said Mr Elsahy.

Amazon operates a widespread local logistics and operations network across Egypt, including its main fulfilment centre supported by 15 delivery stations across the country. It has a local workforce of more than 3,000 across corporate, customer service and operations in Egypt.