Amazon to open fulfilment centre in Abu Dhabi to drive retail in MENA

The launch of the centre is a part of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office’s (ADIO) programme to attract investment that drives innovation. Expected to be launched by 2024, the new fulfilment centre comes as part of a wider collaboration between Amazon and ADIO which will also unlock job opportunities over the coming years, as well as provide support to help entrepreneurs, startups and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) thrive in the digital economy, Amazon said its press release.

“Driven by customer-obsession, innovation and long-term thinking, we are very proud to be working alongside the UAE leadership as we contribute to the nation’s accelerating digital economy and ambitious growth agenda. We look forward to partnering with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to bring Amazon’s advanced logistics, technology innovations, sustainability initiatives and decades of expertise to the area,” Russell Grandinetti, senior vice president, International Consumer, Amazon, said.

Following its successful and ongoing collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch cloud data centres in the UAE, ADIO continues to partner with Amazon to advance innovative and technological solutions in Abu Dhabi. ADIO creates an enabling environment for such partnerships and invests in strategic projects that promote an ecosystem of innovation.

“Abu Dhabi has established itself as the region’s innovation hub and as a nexus for pioneering technology and impactful solutions. The addition of Amazon’s new fulfilment centre further boosts the emirate’s ecosystem by introducing new capabilities and an enhanced infrastructure that deliver benefits to other businesses. As part of our commitment to creating opportunities for the private sector, ADIO will partner with and support innovation-driven companies to ensure their growth and success in Abu Dhabi,” Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of the Abu Dhabi department of economic development, said.

“Amazon is committed to working side-by-side with community partners to foster long-term innovation and our partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office demonstrates that commitment. A crucial part of our customer-centric culture is rooted in supporting small and medium-sized businesses. This new expansion helps us increase our delivery capabilities and speed, and support a wide range of sellers who offer a rich selection to our customers. We are well-positioned to accelerate their entrepreneurial journey and aspire to help our independent partners grow to their full potential by providing them with logistics, programmes and resources to seamlessly scale their businesses online,” Ronaldo Mouchawar, vice president of Amazon Middle East and North Africa (MENA), said.

Amazon has invested $18 billion worldwide in selling partner success last year. The company offers a wide range of free tools and services such as the Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) and the Seller Mobile App to help entrepreneurs, startups and SMBs grow their sales on Amazon stores, in addition to providing online selling guidance, education and support for online selling.

As part of Amazon’s global vision to be net zero carbon across all its business by 2040, the fulfilment centre will be built in accordance with the company’s carbon reduction strategies, consistent with Estidama methodology and ADIO’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Policy. The building will incorporate climate-friendly design concepts, control systems, data and analytics, to improve energy efficiency and reduce embodied carbon in construction. The building will also have a solar rooftop to generate on-site renewable energy and will be designed to accommodate zero-emission vehicles as Amazon seeks to reduce carbon emissions from transportation.

The new fulfilment centre will be a testament to Amazon’s commitment to grow sustainably in the region, as outlined in the company’s MENA sustainability roadmap. Launched earlier this year, the roadmap supports the UAE’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the release added.

ADIO’s ESG Policy sets out its requirements for organisations it partners with to ensure that sustainability and governance outcomes are at the core of projects ADIO supports, and to contribute to the UAE’s ESG goals.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)