In September 2019, Dubai Executive Council approved the Dubai eCommerce strategy, which was prepared by Dubai Free Zones Council, in partnership with Dubai Chamber, Dubai Customs and Department of Economy & Tourism, with the aim of solidifying the emirate's position as a hub for global ecommerce.

The strategy aims to:

• cement Dubai as the global logistics hub for the region where ecommerce is set to contribute AED12 billion to the local GDP by 2023
• attract more foreign direct investments in the ecommerce sector
• increase the market share of Dubai-based firms in terms of local and regional distribution to reach AED24 billion by 2022 through slashing business cost of ecommerce activities by 20 percent; business cost includes cost of storage, customs fees, VAT and transportation among others
• reduce paperwork required for customs clearance and reduce fees imposed on goods passing through the free zones.

Related links

• Hamdan bin Mohammed chairs Executive Council meeting, approves E-commerce strategy - WAM.