META Retail Trends #1 - Black Friday, Saudi retail growth & Vodafone push

META’s retail landscape never rests. A breaking ground for new technologies, store openings, retail innovation, shopping events and customer-centric campaigns and programmes. With Channel Summit META around the corner, we’re keeping tabs on some of the region’s retail happenings in the lead up to our Abu Dhabi show in May.  

Shopping events and retail growth

The region’s shopping calendar is synonymous with dedicated shopping days and the past few months have seen some aggressive discounting and creative promotions to tempt shoppers into stores. Last month’s Singles Day saw some UAE based retailers offer discounts of up to 80% while others focused more on campaign differentiation.

"At Sharaf DG, 11.11 has evolved as a celebration of self-rewards," said Nilesh Khalkho, CEO of Sharaf DG. "This is when our customers treat themselves, upgrading their tech, enhancing their lifestyle, and enjoying exclusive experiences that feel personal." (Source: Gulf News)

According to Jumnia Nigeria CEO, Temidayo Ojo, Black Friday has become an established shopping event for customers of the ecommerce platform. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” commented Ojo. “It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence." (Source: P.M. Express). Jumia Nigeria has also shared news of a 25% increase in revenue for Q3.

With the recent announcement of the Dubai 2026 retail calendar featuring 18 citywide events, logistics could prove to be a key consideration in 2026 for retailers and brands to keep pace with consumer demand and expectation for speedy delivery.

Recent reports have highlighted a shortage in warehouse space in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia, a reported 95% of available warehouse space is already taken in major cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh (source: Middle East Economy). Interesting to note that Amazon recently opened its first fulfilment centre in Abu Dhabi with a storage capacity of up to 8 million units.

Beyond the UAE, Saudi’s retail market has been forecast to grow by 6% by 2030 (versus 2024) to an estimated value of $398.45 million. The findings published by Research & Markets points to growth driven by factors such as increased tourism, rapid urbanisation and the growing influence (and disposable income) of younger shoppers. 

Lulu Retail has also reported that Q3 profits were up by 2.3%, YoY citing an expanded retail footprint (6 stores in Q3 opened), higher footfall and 32.4% rise in ecommerce revenue supported by 102 omni-channel enabled stores and express outlets offering fast delivery services.

Meanwhile, Dubai based marketplace for refurbished devices, Revibe, has just announced a $17 million raise to fuel its development of new opportunities in Africa and other emerging markets. The investment, led by Partech, will also fund improvements in customer experience infrastructures.

Vodafone Qatar has signed an MoU with Dohatna Innovative Distribution to support its direct to consumer business. The tie up with the distributor will focus on market growth and customer delivery enhancements.

The news from Vodafone followed on from another partnership announcement with Khwarizmi Artificial Intelligence Center Doha WLL to implement more AI-driven user experiences and support digital transformation goals in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.

September saw the launch of India’s UPI (Unified Payment Interface) in Qatar, the eighth country to adopt this system, enabling Indian tourists to make real time, digital payments at retail level. Starting with Hamad International Airport’s duty-free stores, the scheme is designed to boost retail business and improve cross border payment experiences for users.

Morocco’s International Duty free stores have undergone a refresh to coincide with the Africa Cup of Nations, and capitalise on the anticipated 16% increase in passenger footfall. Initiatives include a new ‘grab and go’ concept store at Casablanca airport, and a Fashion Avenue concept in Terminal 2, more than doubling the store’s original footprint.