CDNetworks selects Etisalat’s SmartHub to enhance online shopping

USA: Etisalat has recently formed a regional strategic partnership with CDNetworks through Etisalat’s SmartHub, to allow greater opportunities for e-commerce and online purchases in the UAE.

The partnership with Etisalat means that the UAE is the latest country to become CDNetworks point of presence (PoP) in the Middle East, joining Turkey, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with CDNetworks now having more than 140 PoPs worldwide.

“With 70 percent of the UAE population online, CDNetworks customers will benefit greatly from the partnership with Etisalat,” said Jeff Kim, COO Americas/EMEA, CDNetworks. “This point of presence, added to our existing coverage in the Middle East, ensures that our customers who offer online goods and services in the region can provide the best user experience possible.”

The UAE has a solid base of affluent shoppers who are turning to the Internet to research and purchase items. A recent study by MasterCard found that consumers in UAE shop online for airline tickets, hotel rooms and home appliances as well as clothing accessories.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the UAE has the seventh largest 2011 GDP per capita in the world, which, says the Central Bank, is potentially growing by 3.5 percent in 2012, representing a significant market for CDNetworks travel and retail customers.