Alibaba.com, a leading global B2B e-commerce platform, made its debut in the UAE at Gulfood 2026, highlighting its role in enabling small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs to scale internationally while managing cost, risk, and operational complexity. As the UAE accelerates its economic diversification strategy, SMEs are increasingly central to driving non-oil trade, exports, and private-sector growth, and platforms like Alibaba.com are becoming critical tools to facilitate cross-border business.
The platform aligns closely with the UAE's trade and SME objectives, leveraging the country's position as a global trade and logistics hub. With over 20 years of B2B e-commerce experience and more than 50 million active business buyers, Alibaba.com helps UAE and GCC companies source, sell, and expand into international markets efficiently. The platform unifies traditionally fragmented processes-such as sourcing, quality control, payments, and logistics-under a single digital ecosystem, offering secure payment mechanisms like Trade Assurance to reduce risk.
Beyond import efficiency, Alibaba.com provides Gulf-based manufacturers and traders with access to international buyers across Europe, Asia, and emerging markets, enabling SMEs to export without extensive overseas infrastructure. The platform's integrated model draws on lessons from China's SME ecosystem, showing how digital infrastructure can accelerate execution, reduce operational risk, and foster global trade participation.
