Aramex has launched a customer service chatbot that operates via Facebook messenger. “The service enables personalized, scalable conversations with customers about shipment-related queries and different service offerings,” the regional logistics giant said in a statement. The English and Arabic-language chatbot…
Whether it’s buying a bus fare or an airline ticket, Egypt’s first and biggest e-payment firm Fawry handles around 1.5 million transactions daily. Fawry CEO Ashraf Sabry told Venture how he planned to convince even more merchants and consumers to make…
Which challenge should be considered the most vital and pressing given the current circumstances the region finds itself in? This question was posed to an audience at last month’s WEF meeting in Jordan. Most voted that reform was most needed…
Rasha Manna, the managing director of the entrepreneur support group Endeavor Jordan, lays out the challenges facing the Kingdom’s startups, and what it takes to overcome them. The one major difficulty Endeavor faces in Jordan is pipeline—finding companies that meet…
When it comes to the future of e-commerce in Jordan, Visa’s regional risk officer believes growth and security must go hand in hand. By Dina Al Wakeel Visa organized a forum on risk management in Amman last month to examine…
Internet giant Amazon has decided to enter the Middle East’s nascent e-commerce market by striking a deal to buy Dubai-based online retailer Souq.com. The announcement of the deal, which was reportedly worth around $650 million, ended months of speculation about…
Aramex reported that its full-year profit for 2016 surged 37 percent to JD82.4 million, fuelled largely by the growing popularity of e-commerce and a string of recent investments. The Dubai-based logistics giant, whose revenues also leapt 16 percent to JD838.7…
The boss of MEPS says he’s committed to making regional e-payment systems safer and more convenient to use. Owned by 11 local and regional leading banks and companies, Middle East Payment Services, or MEPS for short, provides a selection of…
Souq.com, the region’s biggest online retailer, is reportedly planning to sell around a 30 percent stake that would give the company a valuation of at least $1.2 billion. The Dubai-based company has appointed Goldman Sachs to find potential buyers for…
The newly installed CEO of Oasis500 aims to provide greater post-acceleration support for startups. By Rebecca Irvine Since its establishment in 2010, Oasis500 has graduated several well known Jordanian companies, including ArabiaWeather, e-payment platform MadfooatCom, and book seller Jamalon. Oasis500’s…