Amazon Now UAE: Delivering everyday products in 15 minutes

In October 2025, Amazon unveiled its new Amazon Fulfillment service in the UAE, redefining the rules of fast shopping and reshaping the e-commerce landscape in the region.

The service is designed to meet the needs of modern life in the UAE by delivering essential products, such as groceries, small electronics, cosmetics, and more, in as little as 15 minutes, and sometimes in as little as 6 minutes in some areas.

In this article, we learn about the details of this service, its mechanism of operation, its competitive advantages, and its impact on the UAE's digital landscape.

Background to Amazon Now's launch in the UAE Amazon has been entering the UAE market aggressively since acquiring Souq.com in 2017, transforming it into Amazon.ae, expanding its offerings to include millions of products.

Despite this surge, express delivery services, such as Prime Now, remain limited in coverage and limited to a two-hour delivery time, focusing on Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

With Amazon's launch, the company is targeting unprecedented speed, building on its recent successes in India.

The new service relies on an advanced infrastructure, on which Amazon has spent millions of dollars, consisting of a large network of mini-warehouses spread across residential and commercial neighborhoods. This reduces the distance between the consumer and the product, thus dramatically reducing delivery time.

Each warehouse center is programmed to contain the most appropriate inventory based on local demand and sales activity in each region.

How does Amazon Now work? The Amazon Now experience is based on the app or the official website: Amazon.ae. Through a dedicated category for express orders, users can browse most everyday products under icons such as "Place Now" or "Fresh Place Order." Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, users can select immediate delivery within 6 to 15 minutes, or schedule an order for up to two hours.

The product list includes fresh food (fruits, vegetables), personal care supplies, cleaning products, some small electronic devices (chargers, headphones), baby and child supplies, a wide range of groceries and beverages, and the inventory is constantly renewed according to local consumption data to ensure availability around the clock.

The delivery mechanism relies on trained teams, a fleet of electric cars and bicycles, and direct partnerships with local suppliers to reduce delays caused by traffic congestion and meet Amazon's environmental commitments.

What makes Amazon Now special? Easy payment options: Amazon Now offers multiple payment methods to suit everyone, including credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), cash on delivery (cash or card), and the ability to use Amazon Balance. Live tracking and fast communication: Customers can track their orders in real time via the app and communicate directly with the delivery representative to ensure a smooth and transparent experience. Free cancellation: The service allows customers to cancel their order at any time before the start of preparation, giving them complete flexibility to modify their choices or cancel their order at no additional cost. Flexible Returns: Amazon offers a 30-day return period for any product, with a clear customer support policy to ensure customer satisfaction with purchased products. Instant Delivery 24/7: Amazon NOW offers 24/7 delivery to meet the needs of busy customers at all times, with delivery within minutes. Wide variety of products: The service includes a constantly changing assortment of household essentials, fresh fruits and vegetables, personal care items, small electronics, and more, with constant updates based on local demand to ensure constant availability. Exclusive benefits for Prime members: Amazon Prime members enjoy free delivery on orders over AED 25, plus exclusive discounts on select products that make the membership even more valuable. Nominal delivery fees for non-subscribers: Low delivery fees of 5 to 10 dirhams are charged for small orders, with the option to pick up orders from designated points to save costs. Quality and Safety Guarantee: All products undergo strict quality checks before shipping. Amazon also offers GPS tracking to ensure safe and on-time delivery, with flexible return support. Competition in the UAE's fast-moving trade sector The launch of Amazon NOW enters the heart of the highly competitive fast-moving e-commerce market, competing with local and international players such as Noon, Careem, and other well-known instant delivery apps such as Talabat.

This market offers a real race for the fastest delivery time and best customer experience, with some companies offering 10-minute delivery in certain areas and competing across a wide geographic range.

However, Amazon remains ahead, thanks to its superior digital and logistics infrastructure, its expertise in operating thousands of micro-warehouses, and its express delivery models from India and Europe. Amazon NOW strengthens existing customer loyalty and attracts new segments, especially professionals and families looking to save time and effort and who trust Amazon's name, strong brand, and easy returns services.

Application challenges and strengths against competitors Infrastructure Challenges: Heavy traffic in Dubai and Abu Dhabi places pressure on delivery teams. Despite strategic warehouse distribution, logistical challenges remain, especially in areas where demand surges, such as holidays and seasonal events. Price competition: Noon and Careem offer discounts and aggressive marketing campaigns, forcing Amazon to continue funding loyalty programs and near-free delivery to secure market share. Operating costs: The large investment in mini-warehouses and electric fleets raises initial costs, but high demand, especially in major cities, helps achieve significant economies of scale. Regulatory barriers: The UAE has specific regulations for the food trade and delivery sector, which requires rapid adaptation and adherence to health standards. However, Amazon's experience in global e-retailing and its international scale enable it to address these obstacles relatively quickly.

How will Amazon Now change the Emirati user experience? The service will transform local purchasing habits:

Reliance on online shopping will increase, especially for daily necessities. Improved time management: Users can schedule their purchases and organize their time more efficiently. Security and Quality: Brand guarantees, live tracking features, and prompt support enhance users' confidence in the service and their overall experience. Comprehensive market coverage: Coverage is gradually expanding to all cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and others, with clear plans for future rural expansion. How does Amazon continue to develop its service? Amazon is betting on AI technologies to forecast demand and distribute inventory, adopting drone delivery in the UAE in the future, and expanding partnerships with local suppliers to improve efficiency and further reduce shipping times. Initial market indicators reflect rapid success: Initial reports indicate thousands of orders in the first days of launch and a more than 40% increase in daily orders compared to the same period last year.

As development continues, Amazon Now can be considered the beginning of a new era for e-commerce in the Middle East .