Amazon and Noon are the two main online marketplaces in the Middle East. Both sell in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, and both offer fulfilment, Arabic storefronts and advertising for brands. Amazon entered the region in 2017 by buying Souq.com. Noon is a regional company founded by Mohamed Alabbar with backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, and it launched in 2017. For a global e-commerce brand, Noon vs Amazon is usually the first marketplace decision in the Middle East. This guide compares the two and explains when to choose one or both.
Noon and Amazon at a Glance
| Amazon | Noon | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry into the region | Bought Souq.com in 2017 | Launched in 2017 |
| Local stores | Amazon.ae (2019), Amazon.sa (2020), Amazon.eg (2021) | UAE and Saudi Arabia (2017), Egypt (2019) |
| Ownership | Amazon, the US e-commerce company | Founded by Mohamed Alabbar, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund |
| Fulfilment | Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) | Fulfilled by Noon (FBN), shown to shoppers as Noon Express |
| Advertising | Amazon Ads | Noon Ads |
| Languages | Arabic and English | Arabic and English |
When Amazon Is the Better Starting Point
Amazon is usually the easier start for a brand that already sells on Amazon in Europe or the US. The team knows the seller tools, the listing rules and Amazon Ads, and much of the product data and creative can be reused once it is localised into Arabic. Amazon's processes are similar from country to country, so a team that runs Amazon in one region needs less training to run it in the Middle East.
The work still needs local attention. Arabic listings, local prices, local customer service and Arabic keywords in Amazon Ads decide performance, as the story of Amazon's own expansion into the Middle East shows.
When Noon Is the Better Starting Point
Noon was built for the Middle East from the start, and it competes with Amazon in most of the same categories. For most brands, the deciding factor is where their target customers already shop for the category. Search your main products on both marketplaces in each country, and compare how many competing products there are, how prices compare and how many reviews the top products have.
If Noon shows strong demand and fewer established competitors in your category, it can be the better place to start. If your team has no marketplace experience yet, let this market research decide.
Amazon Ads vs Noon Ads
Both marketplaces sell retail media: ads that appear inside the marketplace, in search results and on product pages, where shoppers are ready to buy. Amazon Ads includes Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands. Noon Ads is Noon's in-house ad suite, with sponsored ads that show products in search results and category pages, paid per click. Our guide to retail media networks in MENA explains the wider trend.
These practices work on both marketplaces:
- Bid on Arabic and English keywords, and include Arabic spelling variants. Our guide to Arabic keyword research explains how to find them.
- Start broad to find the search terms that convert, then move budget to those terms and add negative keywords.
- Track ACOS (ad spend as a share of ad sales) and TACOS (ad spend as a share of all sales) for each country. Costs and competition differ between the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Arabic Product Listings
On both marketplaces, many shoppers browse and search in Arabic. A listing needs an Arabic title, Arabic bullet points and an Arabic description written by a native speaker, with the main Arabic keywords in the title. Machine translation often produces product names that nobody searches for. Check sizes, units, colours and product names against the words shoppers use in each country, and use Arabic text in any images that contain text. Our Arabic localization guidelines cover the details.
Fulfilment, Delivery and Payment
With Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfilled by Noon (FBN), you send stock to the marketplace's fulfilment centre, and the marketplace stores and delivers the products. FBN products are shown with Noon Express delivery, and FBA products can qualify for Prime delivery. Fulfilment fees are set per country and change over time, so compare the current fee tables for each market before you choose.
Plan for local payment habits too. Cash on delivery is still used in parts of the region, especially in Egypt, and it can affect return rates and cash flow. The marketplaces collect payment for you, but your prices and returns plan should allow for it.
Amazon, Noon or Both?
| Your situation | Where to start |
|---|---|
| You already sell on Amazon in Europe or the US | Amazon first, then test Noon |
| Your category has strong demand on both marketplaces | Both, with separate budgets and reporting |
| You are testing the region with a small budget | One marketplace in one country, usually Saudi Arabia or the UAE |
| You want customer data and brand control | Your own Arabic online store, with marketplaces for reach |
Marketplaces give fast reach, but they own the customer relationship. Many brands that grow in the region add their own Arabic online store over time, so they can collect first-party data and build loyalty. Our guide to Arabic e-commerce marketing covers that side.
Driving Traffic to Your Marketplace Listings
Marketplace ads reach shoppers who are already on Amazon or Noon. Google Ads and social media ads reach people earlier, before they open a marketplace. Send this traffic to your marketplace listings or to your own store, and plan both for peak seasons such as White Friday and Ramadan.
Conclusion
Amazon and Noon both give a global brand fast access to shoppers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. Amazon is usually the easier start for brands that already sell on it in other countries. For other brands, the choice depends on where customers shop for the category, and many brands use both. GOTOMENA brings shoppers to marketplace listings and online stores with Arabic Google Ads and Arabic social media advertising. To discuss your plan, contact our team.