Noon.com, the Middle East’s leading digital e-commerce platform, will build the UAE’s largest fulfilment centre in Abu Dhabi as part of an anchor investment into the emirate’s fast-growing e-commerce space. The 252,000m2 mega facility is the result of a partnership between the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and noon, and will generate thousands of jobs and fuel the next phase of growth in the emirate’s digital economy.
Located in KEZAD, the new fulfilment centre will be designed and built utilising Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi - KEZAD Group’s Build-to-Suit solution. Noon will leverage the emirate’s strategic location and connectivity to improve delivery services for millions of its customers in the UAE, and open up new opportunities for small businesses to sell their products online through the noon platform. The centre will advance the region’s e-commerce infrastructure by introducing new automation technologies.
ADIO is providing noon with financial and non-financial incentives for the development of the fulfilment centre. The Abu Dhabi ecosystem’s support for businesses, combined with KEZAD Group’s established infrastructure, provides a solid foundation that will enable the rapid growth of noon’s fulfilment operations in the region.
Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi is delivering for the global e-commerce sector by creating an environment where innovative, ambitious companies can thrive. Noon’s partnerships with ADIO and KEZAD Group are significant in both scale and impact, creating thousands of jobs and new opportunities for the private sector to plug into an e-commerce platform and the emirate’s innovation ecosystem. Leveraging noon’s cutting-edge logistics, innovation and technology expertise, the mega fulfilment centre will reinforce Abu Dhabi’s emerging strength in e-commerce and logistics, while boosting adjacent industries like transportation and warehousing.”
At more than 252,000m2, equivalent to 35 football pitches, noon’s largest fulfilment centre in the country will enable the swift delivery of products across the UAE market and act as a hub to service noon’s smaller fulfilment centres. Noon’s facility will also feature new automation technologies for storage, material movement, and sorting. Noon will hire more than 6,000 new employees, from entry to executive positions, creating opportunities for talent across all education, background and skill levels in the emirate.
Noon’s new Abu Dhabi operations further strengthen e-commerce as an emerging sub-sector within the emirate’s ICT cluster. It will enable entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs to leverage noon’s platform, advanced technology and expansive delivery networks to reach new customers. Noon will operate in line with Abu Dhabi’s e-commerce policy launched in August 2021 to unlock investment opportunities in the emirate.
H.E. Mohamed Alabbar, founder of noon, said: "The new e-commerce hub in Abu Dhabi will unite millions of customers and thousands of businesses to fuel the UAE's digital economy's next phase of growth. As a local technology company, it is our duty to innovate, invent, and provide the optimal infrastructure for a digital-first future. The new hub in the UAE will accelerate not only noon's growth, but also e-commerce in our region."
"We are proud to collaborate with UAE industry leaders such as ADIO and KEZAD in order to provide our people and nation with the world-class tools necessary for success."
As part of the project, Noon has also signed a separate agreement with KEZAD Group to develop the fulfilment centre. Noon is leveraging KEZAD Group’s Build-to-Suit development solution to construct the bespoke facility on a fast-track basis to the highest quality. To be completed in 2024, the facility will be delivered as a sustainable building conforming to the Estidama 2 Pearl rating, which incorporates initiatives to enable water, energy, and waste minimisation and local material use, resulting in reduced transportation emissions and boosting the local economy.
Abdullah Al Hameli, Chief Executive Officer of Economic Cities & Free Zones, AD Ports Group, said: “In line with the vision of our wise leadership to establish Abu Dhabi as a global hub for trade and the development of strategic industries, KEZAD Group is building the infrastructure and portfolio of specialist services that will enable the rapid expansion of e-commerce and same-day delivery models in the region. Backed by KEZAD Group’s innovative Build-to-Suit offering and noon’s expertise in digital marketplace solutions, customers can soon look forward to a wider variety of choice on the leading e-commerce platform, in addition to improved convenience and price benefits. Strategically positioned at KEZAD, the noon fulfilment centre will enable businesses both home-grown and international to reach new customers across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.”
In addition to noon, ADIO has supported 18 other information and communications technology (ICT) companies since 2021 on their innovation journeys in Abu Dhabi. With ADIO’s support, leading technology companies including Callsign and Eureka have expanded operations in Abu Dhabi with the aim of accelerating digital transformation, while Anghami, Bespin Global and STARZPLAY Arabia have established their headquarters in the emirate, bringing in enhanced technologies and capabilities.
