As the holy month of Ramadan drives a surge in online activity across the Middle East and North Africa, e-commerce players aren’t just reporting higher sales—they’re rewriting how digital retail works in the region.
According to a joint report by Flowwow and Admitad, gift orders surged by over 150% during Ramadan 2025, with expectations of a 30% jump in online sales and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) during Eid al-Fitr. But beneath the headline figures lies a broader transformation: the shift from seasonal spending spikes to year-round, platform-driven engagement.
Mobile-first commerce
Mobile devices now account for over 50% of all e-commerce transactions in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. During Ramadan, that share spikes even higher as shoppers increasingly turn to apps for last-minute gifting and time-sensitive Iftar purchases.
This trend is especially popular among Gen Z consumers, who are less attached to brick-and-mortar rituals and more likely to choose instant delivery, personalised suggestions, and integrated gifting tools. “Mobile isn’t just a channel—it’s the new default storefront,” said Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad.
From last-mile to last-click
To stay competitive, gifting platforms are overhauling their logistics. Flowwow, Floward, and FNP are building local fulfilment networks to reduce delivery windows to under three hours in key cities like Riyadh, Dubai, and Kuwait City.
Super-apps like Talabat and Careem have also entered the space, leveraging their existing delivery infrastructure to offer curated Eid gift sets, sweets, and even floral arrangements—products far outside their original food delivery models.
Amazon UAE, Noon, and regional aggregators are responding by expanding same-day delivery zones and refining category-specific algorithms during peak traffic hours.
Personalisation and data
Unlike traditional commerce cycles focusing on volume, platforms now emphasise data to create higher-value transactions. Gifting platforms are using AI-based engines to recommend items based on past behaviour, social media signals, and even local cultural preferences.
This has led to a rise in average order value (AOV)—$125 in Kuwait, $86 in Saudi Arabia, and $83 in the UAE. “What we’re seeing isn’t just more orders. It’s deeper digital engagement, shoppers are trusting platforms to curate and deliver gifts that carry emotional weight,” said Slava Bogdan, CEO of Flowwow.
Inventory strategy
Another structural shift is the growing cross-border demand driven by MENA expatriates. Platforms are now positioning stock in regional warehouses that can serve multiple countries to handle cross-border gift deliveries with reduced friction.
“We’ve seen a rise in users from the UK, US, and Southeast Asia sending gifts to families in the UAE, Egypt, and KSA. This requires smarter coordination between payment, customs, and fulfilment teams,” said a spokesperson from a logistics partner working with Floward.
The spike in demand during the final 10 days of Ramadan is forcing platforms to treat the season like a technical stress test. Downtime, slow mobile interfaces, or poor delivery tracking can cause revenue losses in hours. Companies are now deploying temporary cloud scaling and backend reinforcement weeks in advance.
“Ramadan is now what Black Friday is to global e-commerce—but with more emotional and cultural stakes,” said a regional CTO at a UAE-based marketplace.
The Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr cycle is no longer just a seasonal sales window—it has become the catalyst for a broader re-engineering of MENA’s consumer tech stack. From logistics to personalisation, and from mobile-first design to cross-border supply chains, platforms are adapting not just for festive periods—but for a digitally native consumer that expects more, all year round.
If projections hold, 2025 may mark the year the MENA gifting market tipped from a seasonal surge to structural transformation.
