This Week In E-Commerce - Middle East Embraces Digital Shift With AI And Cashless Economy

The Middle East is experiencing a significant transformation in digital commerce and payments, fueled by increasing e-commerce activity, mobile-first purchasing behavior, and a strong shift towards digital payments across the region. This evolution is supported by a growing reliance on app-based transactions and digital wallets, thereby facilitating a cashless economy in countries like the UAE and Iran. In addition to these shifts, Gulf nations are deeply investing in artificial intelligence to enhance automation and financial services, with AI being utilized for purposes such as fraud detection and logistics across various sectors. As digital commerce accelerates, these technological advancements are reshaping both retail and financial services, reflecting a broader digital transformation throughout the Middle East.

In other trading, Ryohin Keikaku (TSE:7453) was trading firmly up 11.7% and closing at ¥3,231. Meanwhile, Microalliance Group (OTCPK:MALG) trailed, down 35.9% to finish the session at $1.14.

Amazon's leadership in cloud services via AWS and AI advancements position it for rapid growth as IT shifts to the cloud. Explore the full narrative to see how Amazon could seize this opportunity.

You might want to quickly check out our Market Insights article, which explores Walmart's innovative move to boost its e-commerce presence through ChatGPT, a shift that could redefine online shopping dynamics.

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• Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) ended the day at $239.57 down 0.6%. On Wednesday, the company unveiled Agentforce 360 at Dreamforce, enhancing workplace collaboration with AI-powered tools integrated into Slack.
• Adobe (NasdaqGS:ADBE) finished trading at $304.44 down 1.8%, not far from its 52-week low.
• Amazon.com (NasdaqGS:AMZN) closed at $236.65 down 2.5%. AWS launched its European Sovereign Cloud four days ago to meet the data needs of EU governments and enterprises.

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Sources:

• Simply Wall St
• "Middle East Digital Commerce & Payments in the Age of Al Market Research Report 2025-2026: Digital Payments Gain Momentum, AI Investment Deepens as Gulf Nations Drive Enterprise Adoption" from Research and Markets on GlobeNewswire (published 12 January 2026)

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