Internet retail giant Amazon has announced that the company will create 1,500 direct and indirect jobs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year and has also announced that Amazon Web Services (AWS) will launch three data centres in the first half of 2022, according to media reports.
Amazon will also increase the fulfillment centre storage capacity by 60 per cent and by year-end. Currently, the storage space in the UAE is to be more than 3.7 million cubic feet.
Amazon is also looking into adding four new delivery stations that will increase its total area by 70 percent and also speed up deliveries in the region.
Prashant Saran, Amazon’s director of operations for the Middle East and North Africa region told the media, “Our expansion is underpinned by our support of the UAE’s growing digital economy as we continue to invest in people, process and technology. We offer an enriching environment where employees can learn and grow, all within a modern workplace that has an uncompromising focus on safety. Amazon’s investment reflects our long-term commitment to the communities in which we operate.”
The UAE’s retail e-commerce market is projected to reach $8 billion by 2025 and e-commerce accounted for 8 percent of the UAE’s overall retail market last year
This fast-paced growth is largely attributed to the digital shift in consumer shopping habits amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be further driven in the future by high incomes, high internet penetration, developed transport logistics, modern digital payment systems, tech-savvy youth and strong government support.
In the UAE, Amazon’s current network across the UAE comprises two warehouses – known as fulfilment centres, eight delivery stations, three sorting centres and a network of delivery service partners.