A recent survey by Awok.com shows that Dubai is now home to the most online shoppers in the Middle East. Compared to just 27% of Abu Dhabi's population shopping online, over 46% of Dubai's residents now purchase goods online. This is despite the region being famed for ultra-luxury shopping centres and mega-malls. In fact, online sales in the Middle East this year are expected to pass the 7.3 billion dirham, or 2 billion US dollar, mark. The change in shopping culture over the last few years from luxury stores, to ecommerce sites, is likely caused by the recent rise in online offers and discount codes in the region. This has caused plans for an 8 million square foot “Mall of The World” to be downscaled as brick-and-mortar stores try to keep up with rise in online shopping, whilst the projection for economic growth in the UAE has been dropped from 4.5% to 3.2%.Â
