today the world is changing fast and one big change is how people buy and sell things online this is called digital marketplaces and they are websites where people and businesses can sell their products to buyers in different places around the world now saudi arabia is trying to grow its economy and not just depend on oil so they are working hard to improve their non-oil exports saudi arabia wants to be strong in other industries too like food clothes machines and more and digital marketplaces are helping a lot with this goal
why digital marketplaces are important
digital marketplaces like amazon noon alibaba and made in saudi are changing how business works before if someone wanted to sell their product to another country it was very hard they needed to find a buyer send samples do meetings and more but now they can just upload their product on a marketplace and people from all over the world can see it and buy it this makes boosting saudi exports faster and easier
also these websites help small businesses who cannot afford big shops or marketing campaigns now even a small shop in riyadh or jeddah can sell their goods to someone in europe or asia and that helps the economy grow and creates more jobs too
vision 2030 and non oil goals
saudi arabia has a big plan called vision 2030 this plan is to make the country less dependent on oil and grow other parts of the economy so they are trying to make more money from tourism entertainment mining agriculture and of course from selling products to other countries that are not oil this is where non-oil exports saudi arabia becomes very important
to do this the government is helping businesses to get digital they offer training support and money for businesses to join online platforms they also made programs like made in saudi to show the world the good quality of saudi products
what are saudi businesses selling online
many people do not know this but saudi arabia makes a lot of products that can be sold in other countries for example dates are very famous and people in europe and asia love them saudi companies are selling different kinds of dates in nice packages on digital marketplaces
also beauty products made in saudi are becoming popular like soaps oils perfumes and creams some of these are made from natural things like oud or black seed and people like natural beauty items now
clothes and traditional wear are also sold online things like abayas and shemaghs are popular in gulf and now they are being exported more
another example is industrial goods like cables tools plastic products and construction materials saudi has strong factories and they make high quality stuff that many countries need
how digital platforms help with boosting Saudi exports
digital marketplaces do not just show your product they also help you market it so more people see it they help with payments logistics tracking and returns all these things used to be big problems for sellers but now the platform takes care of many of them
they also give sellers reports about what customers are buying what price works best and which country is buying more this helps the seller improve and sell more
some platforms even offer warehouse services where you can keep your goods in another country this makes delivery fast and people like that
government efforts to support online exports
the saudi government knows that boosting saudi exports needs technology and support so they made some programs and rules to help for example
- zadi platform helps with getting trade permits
- fassah makes customs work faster
- maroof and sadaia help with e commerce trust
- saudi exports development authority gives training and funds
also saudi made trade deals with many countries so saudi products can go with lower tax this helps sellers offer better prices online
challenges and how to fix them
still there are some problems that need to be solved like language barriers sometimes the seller is not good in english and that can affect their sales so translation tools or hiring people who know languages can help
also some businesses are not used to online selling they need digital training or help with photos and product listings this can be solved by workshops and online tools
another issue is logistics sometimes sending goods fast is hard so saudi needs to work more with fast and cheap shipping companies maybe create special export packages for small businesses
also online fraud or fake reviews can harm saudi sellers so rules need to be made and enforced
case of made in saudi program
made in saudi is a cool example of how branding helps exports when buyers see this tag they feel the product is of high quality and safe it is also a way to promote national pride so saudi sellers who add this badge on their online shops get more trust and more sales
this badge is also being used on digital marketplaces and the program helps sellers learn how to meet export quality standards so that they can sell worldwide
using alibaba and amazon global
many saudi companies are joining big global marketplaces like Alibaba and amazon global store these platforms have millions of buyers from all over the world so if a Saudi seller can put his products there with nice photos good description and price he has a high chance to get sales
alibaba is good for b2b sellers that means selling to other businesses like someone who wants to buy 5000 boxes of dates or 2000 bottle of shampoo
amazon is more for b2c that means selling to customers one by one like someone in germany who wants to try a saudi honey product they can just order it
both platforms help a lot in boosting saudi exports
role of young entrepreneurs
many young Saudis are now starting their own small online shops and they are doing very well they use social media like instagram and tiktok to promote their products and then use platforms like noon or shopify to sell them
they are creative and smart they learn fast and they are not afraid to try new things they are a big part of the growth in non-oil exports saudi arabia
some of them even started selling things that no one thought would work like handmade crafts local art desert camping tools and they got buyers from europe and usa
using social media with marketplaces
one trick that many saudi businesses use is to mix social media and digital marketplaces they show their products on tiktok or instagram and when someone is interested they give them the link to buy it on amazon noon or their own store this is called social commerce and it is growing fast
some sellers even go live to show the product and answer questions and then give a link to buy many customers trust this way more than just seeing photo
new tech like ai and data
some platforms are also using ai or artificial intelligence this means the system can learn from what people are doing and suggest better things for sellers like price changes or product trends
this helps in boosting saudi exports because sellers can act fast and adjust their strategy ai also helps in translation writing better product titles and even making product photos
data also helps sellers understand which country wants what and when that helps with planning stock and marketing
success stories from saudi sellers
there are some good examples already for instance one small company in al ahsa started selling stuffed dates filled with almonds and covered with chocolate they got buyers from uae uk and germany they used amazon and instagram and now they are shipping more than 3000 boxes month
another example is a factory in jeddah that makes eco friendly bags they started selling in saudi first then joined alibaba now they got big orders from indonesia and turkey
a perfume brand in riyadh used shopify and facebook ads to reach french and british customers they focused on oud perfumes and made a strong brand now they get repeat orders and export monthly
what the future looks like
the future of non-oil exports saudi arabia is bright if the country keeps pushing digital ways more businesses will go global and more people will get jobs and the country will earn more money from many sources not just oil
also new platforms might be created just for saudi products or arab products which focus on culture and taste of the region that can also grow the market
tech like vr or ar might be used to show products in a better way maybe people can see how a saudi carpet will look in their room or how a dress will fit
payment systems will get better and more safe and fast and shipping companies will get more deals to support online sellers
tips for saudi sellers
if you are Saudi seller or business and you want to start selling online and help in boosting saudi exports here are some simple tips
- pick 1 or 2 good products not too many
- take clear and nice photos
- write simple but clear titles and descriptions
- use both english and arabic if possible
- price it right check other sellers
- join trusted marketplaces like amazon noon alibaba
- promote on social media
- reply fast to messages and reviews
- learn about shipping and returns
- keep learning and improving
final word
digital marketplaces are not just websites they are doors to the world they let saudi businesses small and big sell their dreams to everyone and make new customers from every country
they make trade easy fast and modern and this is perfect for the vision 2030 of the kingdom if more businesses join this digital road then soon non-oil exports saudi Arabia will grow big and strong and the world will know more about the quality and beauty of what saudi makes
boosting saudi exports is not just about selling more it is about showing the world the talent creativity and power of Saudi people and digital marketplaces are helping us do just that
