Dubai: With the AI market on track to reach the USD 500 billion mark by 2024, it is no surprise that AI and ML (machine learning) continue to become an integral part of business systems the world over.A YouGov survey conducted across 18 international markets finds that chatbots are proving to be a valuable resource for customers seeking assistance while shopping online for various products and services, but three in ten global consumers do not consider them useful in this regard. In the UAE, less than one in ten (8%) consumers do not find chatbots useful, highlighting the popularity of AI technology in the country. From the various listed options, chatbots appear to be most useful in online shopping for mobiles and electronics, with one in six consumers across the globe saying this (16% each). In the UAE, this number increases to three in ten (30%) for mobiles and one in four (26%) for electronics- making them the top two categories where consumers think using a customer service chatbot can be useful.A quarter also consider chatbots useful when buying air travel and hotel services online (26%)- the highest of all markets across the globe.  While only 12% global consumers think chatbots are helpful in buying groceries online, this number doubles (24%) among UAE consumers. Similarly, buying clothes/ shoes (24% UAE consumers vs 14% global consumers), take-out food(23% vs 12%), and financial products (20% vs 12%) online via chatbots is more useful to UAE adults than global consumers. Around a fifth of UAE consumers think chatbot assistance is useful in buying medicines (19%), streaming subscriptions (19%) and cars/ vehicles (19%) online. An equal but lesser proportion of consumers believe in its usefulness when shopping online for out-of-home entertainment services and cosmetics (17% each).Comparatively, the area where consumers think chatbots are least helpful are when buying video games online, but this is still more useful to residents in UAE than those across the globe (15% vs 10%). Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of adults aged 18+ years in 18 markets with sample sizes varying between 431 and 1,572 for each market. UAE data is based on a nationally representative sample of 18+ adults with a sample size of 1014 respondents. All surveys were conducted online in December 2022. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced. 

Leading e-commerce experts discussed the prospects, trends, and peculiarities of the e-commerce industry in the MENA region. Discussions ranged from business models in e-commerce, such as marketplaces and D2C channels, to digital marketing, data analytics, and approaches to e-commerce business development.The conference featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including distinguished industry leaders, such as Anshuman Anand, Vice President of Apparel Group, Jonathan Flender, Digital and E-commerce General Manager at Al-Futtaim, Aadil Shaikh, Regional Product Lead at Amazon, Ivan Gudkov, E-commerce Vertical Lead at TikTok, Abhishek Shah, Co-founder and CEO of RSA Global, and Mohamad Anas Derieh, Head of E-commerce at Arla Foods, among many other esteemed experts.The conference was opened by Daria Tkachenko, CEO of Sellematics and Sellscreen, the companies that organized the conference, and Leo Dovbenko, CEO and Co-founder of YallaMarket and YallaHub, and partner of the Marketplace & D2C ?onference 2023.Daria Tkachenko presented an incredible report on the benefits of analytics services for customers, and demonstrated trends, strategies, and forecasts for e-commerce in the MENA region. She spoke about how the MENA region is the fastest-growing market in the world with 25% predicted growth, and shared data insights from Sellematics showing that the number of sellers in November had increased by 6% compared to August, and that there was a significant increase in revenue in all categories in the Noon UAE marketplace. She also highlighted the importance of analytics for e-commerce success. All the data insights were received from the Sellematics service.Leo Dovbenko, the conference partner, discussed the growth trends in the region and the unique market dynamics that set the MENA region apart from the rest of the world. He shared details of YallaHub's marketplace aggregator, which has already helped launch 40+ successful brands in the region. Dovbenko emphasized the importance of a solid GTM (Go-To-Market) strategy for launching new products in the market.The Marketplace & D2C ?onference 2023 was an inspiring event that showcased the MENA region's potential for e-commerce growth. Given the impressive turnout and the quality of the discussions, it is clear that the e-commerce industry in the region is poised for further expansion, and we can't wait to see what the future holds.