RIYADH — By 2025, Saudi Arabia accounted for almost 93% of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) e-commerce investments, up from 46% in 2021. This illustrates the Kingdom’s expanding influence in the digital economy and its solidification as a hub for regional e-commerce.
Meanwhile, e-commerce penetration in the Gulf retail industry remains low, suggesting substantial potential for expansion in the years to come. According to the results of the “New Geography of Growth” session held in London by the RLC Global Forum in association with Selfridges, e-commerce penetration in the Gulf retail industry is 11%.
Driven by robust local demand, steady investment inflows, and growing openness to international markets, the Gulf area continues to solidify its position in determining the direction of the global luxury goods industry.
The session’s talks showed that e-commerce investments are growing beyond retail to include digital infrastructure, order fulfilment, and logistics. This aligns with the GCC countries’ e-commerce growth, which is outpacing global trends.
According to Panos Linardos, Chairman of the RLC Global Forum, investments are getting more selective while development prospects have become more uneven across markets, industries, and businesses. He underlined how crucial it is to understand the factors driving some industries and businesses to flourish quickly while others grow more slowly.
The theme “Unequal Futures,” which the forum will continue to examine at its next gathering in Riyadh on February 1 and 2, 2027, reflects the Gulf region’s further strengthening of its influence in this changing scene, he continued.
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