This festive season is set to boost $80.3 billion MENA’s e-commerce market and lead the regional growth, with turnover expected to grow by at least 14% and online purchases by 13%. The surge is driven by earlier festive shopping, a growing preference for online gifting, and consumers opting for joy and unique experiences over pure consumption, according to findings by Flowwow and Admitad.
This year, early festive sales across the MENA region have already seen an impressive surge, driven by the overall e-commerce acceleration, high concentration of promotions, and a wide range of cultural celebrations.
Based on an analysis of 5 million orders in MENA, White Friday and Cyber Monday generated a record +59% in GMV and +46% in order volume compared to the average weekly number in 2025, while Flowwow reported a +250% spike in online gifting GMV on 28 November. AOV across MENA increased from $44 to $53.
There’s a growing trend among MENA shoppers to seek out value and get ready for holidays earlier this year, well before the festive rush of mid-November to the end of December. This window is expected to become the leading shopping moment of the whole year in terms of GMV, order volume, and AOV.
Festive Season Boom Up To 17% In Order Volume
To forecast December performance in 2025, Flowwow and Admitad analysed more than 500,000 online purchases made in December 2023 and 2024.
The last festive season emerged as a key driver for regional online shopping, delivering +19% in December and +44% surge in November, while other busiest periods in March, Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr brought 11% and 14% respectively. The order volumes in last December also showed positive dynamic with +17% growth, while over 71% of online purchases in MENA came from marketplaces.
The online gifting sector also experienced strong consumer activity during the festive period. Last November-December, Flowwow recorded 2 times (+91%) GMV growth, +66% in order volumes and +15% in AOV up to 253 AED.
How MENA Shoppers Buy
The significance of the festive season is reflected in the structure of demand, which splits between practical, long-term value-driven purchases and spend on celebrations and experiences. Top in-demand categories remain focused on utility and home mindset: home & garden (+20%), fashion, (+18%), electronics (+17%), toys & hobbies (+11%), beauty & health (+9%), auto & parts (+5%), sport items (+4%).
Meanwhile, the fastest-growing segments capture joy and experience, as shoppers invest not only in physical products and utility, ‘holiday experience’. Categories like online gaming (+29%), toys (+23%) plane tickets (+19%) emerged as new leaders among top growth drivers last December.
Saudi Arabia and UAE shoppers spend festive season differently
Cultural and economic specifics shaped different spending patterns in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, although both countries show strong interest in festive deals.
For consumers in Saudi Arabia, festive season purchases are closely tied to a value-for-money mindset where price and quality are the dominant consideration factors. This behaviour aligns with family-oriented cultural patterns, where shoppers tend to prioritise family and home needs and make rational orders. Last December, this behaviour reflected the growing consumer preference for jewellery, home goods and child products. The festive season in Saudi Arabia was marked with +12% at GMV, +10% at number of orders, while AOV increased from $50 to $52. Share of mobile purchases increased from 45% to 50%
During the same period in 2024, customers from UAE paid relatively more attention to fashion, as well car and sport-related items compared to the rest of the region. These lifestyle-oriented categories reflect focus on self-expression and a tendency to invest more in practical but emotionally motivated purchases, with higher $105 AOV than Saudi Arabia and MENA overall average.
In the UAE, order volumes grew by 13% and GMV by 14% YoY. We also saw an uptick in mobile-led shopping, which rose from 47% to 51% over the period.
UAE Specifics In Gifting Behavior
The UAE spending pattern is also shaped by different social contexts. A highly diverse, international population and intense calendar of celebrations bring the ‘holiday mood’ into a long consumption period spanning White Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, New Year and the long Dubai Shopping Festival.
This festive-driven demand also visible in category mix on Flowwow, where the most in-demand items are related to mood, caring, and “small treats” from local sellers: delicious sets (+107%), holiday home prep (+196%), edible bouquets (+27%) and confectionery & bakeries (+19%).
Cross-border gifting further highlights this celebration-led behaviour. Last December, 50% of purchases were made outside the UAE, as consumers use cross-border to stay connected with family and friends who live outside the country. The top destinations were the UK, the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, and Russia.
Slava Bogdan, co-founder and CEO of Flowwow, commented: “In MENA, the festive season is not limited to the discounts. It’s also a time when people look for ways to celebrate and stay emotionally connected with their loved ones whenever the distance. Our consumer survey shows how emotions become decisive drivers in online shopping. Shoppers constantly prioritise their feelings throughout any step of the journey: they look for trust signals as customer reviews, want a reliable on-time delivery, pay a lot of attention to wrapping, and expect a strong photo-to-reality match. That’s why the festive season in MENA is increasingly emotion-led, when authenticity matters more than ever.”
Social Commerce, Mobile-Led Shopping Fueled The Growth
The research also found that social media and mobile-first journey appeared as key e-commerce boosters during festive season in MENA. In total, almost four in ten purchases started not with search, but with a touch in social media or curated content and then were converted in mobile transactions. 16% were influenced by online media and content platforms, while 11% of sales were attracted through social networks.
This trend is largely enabled by high internet penetration across the GCC’s leading markets and rapid mobile commerce expansion. The study found that during the festive season 2025, mobile traffic has already taken nearly half of online sales, 49% (+3% compared to 2024). Growth is even stronger among the region’s mobile leaders: Saudi Arabia at 56% (+6%), and the UAE at 52% (+4%).
Both these trends respond to the rising expectations among MENA shoppers for a seamless online experience, where fast delivery and convenient checkout are already a must. Social commerce trends dictate businesses to meet the emotional needs of their customers, which is reflected in a rise of small indulgences in culture, among others.
With a strong surge during the early festive season, late December is expected to bring another peak in e-commerce activity, driven by pre-holiday preparations and last-minute shopping behaviour. According to research data, AOV forecasted to exceed $52. While Flowwow is predicted to see two demand peaks ahead of Christmas and New Year, with 40% increase in order volumes and GMV YoY.
Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad, commented, “This year, we expect at least 13% more online purchases during the festive period, with GMV increasing by no less than 14%. We anticipate fashion, home goods, online gaming and electronics to lead the category rankings. We also project strong performance in the travel segment.”
