Amazon Middle East site store opening process and Souq entry guide

1. Amazon Middle East site store opening process

1. Register an Amazon seller account

First, visit the Amazon Seller Center, click the “Register” button and fill in the relevant information. After completing registration, follow the instructions in the confirmation email to complete verification.

2. Providing company and personal information

In the seller account, you need to provide the company’s registration information, including company name, address, phone number, etc.

3. Select sales category

Choose the appropriate sales category based on your product type. Note that some categories may require approval from Amazon, so you may need to provide additional proof of qualifications.

4. Set up payment and tax information

To ensure that you receive payment for your sales, you need to provide valid bank account information. In addition, tax information, such as tax registration number, etc., must be submitted.

5. List products

In your seller account, you can start adding products. You can choose to add them individually or upload them in bulk. Make sure your product information is accurate so customers can more easily find and buy your products.

2. Souq Settlement Guide

1. Account opening method

The first way

Provide a scanned copy of the UAE business license, the UAE bank account number (the company account number consistent with the business license or the personal account number of the legal person), the email address and mobile phone number of the contact person, and send this information to the email address of Souq’s investment manager. In this way, you can get a Souq seller account for free. It should be noted that the investment manager’s email address has “amazon.com” as the domain name suffix.

Second way

Open an account through an agent authorized by Souq. Souq has authorized a number of account opening agents, among which the FBS (Fulfillment by Souq) logistics carrier recommended by the Souq platform is the most common. Sellers can use the UAE business licenses and bank cards of these agents to open accounts and waive account opening fees (mainly to continue binding logistics cooperation). The information provided includes contact information, phone numbers, email addresses, domestic business licenses, established e-commerce platforms and self-operated independent website links, etc.

2. Account opening conditions

• Documentation requirements: You will need a UAE business license or UAE ID.
• Cargo Requirements: You need to have spot goods in the UAE to ensure that you can notify Souq within three days to pick up the goods.
• Personal account sales restrictions: Sellers registered as individuals need to bind their own Emirates bank card. Please note that personal accounts have certain category sales restrictions. For example, categories such as beauty and electronic products cannot be sold.
• Company Account Bank Account: Accounts registered in the name of a company must be bound to the bank account of the corresponding company, or to the bank account of one of the company’s legal persons in order to withdraw funds. Whether it is a personal account or a company account, it cannot be bound to a domestic bank card to collect payments. Only UAE bank cards are supported. Accounts registered through an account opening agent will be bound to the agent’s local corporate bank account in the UAE.

3. Charging model

• Order service fee: Each order requires an order service fee of 7.5 UAE dirhams. If the order amount is less than 50 dirhams, this fee will not be charged.
• Commission: The commission is based on the sales price of each product, and the commission ratio is between 5% and 20%. The specific ratio depends on the product category. It should be noted that the price on Souq already includes VAT, so there will be an additional 5% VAT on the commission.

4. Service and training

Similar to Amazon, Souq provides seller customer service support. Sellers can contact Souq customer service in the seller’s backend. At the same time, sellers who have settled through an account opening agent can also contact the designated agent contact person. Sellers who are new to Souq are usually invited to participate in training. In addition, Souq also provides online training materials, and you can find relevant tutorials on YouTube.

5. Logistics

Souq currently provides two main logistics methods, namely FBS mode and self-delivery mode.

• FBS model: This is the official warehousing and distribution system, which will store the seller’s products in Souq’s official warehouse. Once an order is generated, Souq will be shipped from the warehouse and delivered to the buyer, usually within 3 working days. In addition, returns are also officially handled by Souq.
• Self-delivery model: In this model, the products are stored by the merchants themselves. After the order is generated, Souq’s logistics company will come to collect the goods and deliver them, usually within 3 days.

There are some benefits to choosing FBS mode:

• The FBS logo will be displayed on the product, which can attract more traffic under the same circumstances.
• For products using FBS services, if customers spend more than 100 dirhams, they can enjoy free shipping, which is very attractive to buyers.

3. Advantages and opportunities of Amazon’s Middle East site

1. Huge market potential

With its huge population and growing consumption power, the Middle East is a market full of opportunities. It is expected that e-commerce sales at Amazon’s Middle East site will continue to grow in the next few years, providing sellers with huge development potential.

2. Mature logistics and payment infrastructure

Amazon Middle East is relatively mature in terms of logistics and payment infrastructure. Amazon has established a strong logistics network and warehousing facilities in the region to provide efficient delivery services. The payment system in the Middle East is also relatively developed, supporting multiple payment methods and providing a convenient trading environment for buyers and sellers.

3. Cultural diversity and consumption habits

Sellers can provide specific products and services based on the needs of different countries and regions. By understanding and adapting to local culture and consumption habits, sellers can better meet customer needs.

4. Low price sensitivity

Consumers in the Middle East are less sensitive to price, and the higher unit price brings more ample profit margins to sellers.

4. Summary

The store opening process on Amazon’s Middle East site is relatively simple, and the market potential is huge. Mature infrastructure and policy support provide sellers with favorable conditions for development. For sellers who want to expand their business in the Middle East, this is a new starting point full of hope and opportunities.