Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE is emerging as one of the world's fastest-moving e-commerce markets, with more than half of shoppers already using AI tools and virtually all online retailers deploying some form of AI across their platforms, a new study has found.
According to DHL's eCommerce Trends Report 2026, 51% of UAE shoppers use AI-powered chat tools when shopping online, while 91% of e-commerce businesses have already integrated the technology into their operations. These figures place the country among the top surveyed markets for AI-assisted shopping, behind only India and ahead of China.
The findings are drawn from surveys of 29,000 online shoppers and 5,800 e-commerce businesses across 29 countries.
"The growth of AI has proven the consumer appetite for true AI assistants that can take on some of the cognitive overhead of modern life,” said Tom Cheesewright, an applied futurist. “As soon as someone gets the proposition right, expect consumer adoption to rapidly overtake retailer rollout.”
Globally, 29% of shoppers say they would be willing to let AI make shopping decisions or purchases for them within the next five years, rising to 33% among Gen Z and 36% among millennials.
Nearly six in 10 businesses expect shoppers to browse and buy through virtual assistants in the future.
In the UAE, 68% of companies expect more customer activity through social media, 65% through apps, 64% through online marketplaces, and 59% through AI-powered chat or virtual assistants.
Social commerce is already firmly embedded in the UAE market, the report said.
Among shoppers, 68% have purchased through Facebook, 67% through Instagram, 57% through TikTok, and 41% through YouTube.
Businesses are also active across those platforms, with 82% selling through Facebook, 75% through Instagram, 73% through TikTok, and 52% through YouTube.
Amazon was named the most popular online marketplace among both UAE shoppers and businesses.
The report also points to changing delivery expectations, although UAE shoppers still strongly favour home-based services.
Some 84% prefer home delivery and 73% opt for home collection for returns. At the same time, parcel lockers are gaining traction, used by 12% of shoppers for deliveries and 23% for returns.
Paid delivery and returns subscriptions are also gaining momentum in the UAE.
DHL said 64% of shoppers already have a paid subscription, while 73% of businesses offer one and another 24% plan to introduce one.
Globally, the report highlights persistent pressure on retailers to offer free delivery and returns. The survey findings show that 62% of shoppers would abandon a purchase immediately if their preferred payment method was unavailable, while only 45% of businesses currently recognise that as a key reason for cart abandonment.
The report combines consumer and business perspectives from markets across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.
