SEAMLESS
MIDDLE EAST 2021
THE FUTURE OF FINTECH
All-in-one exhibition at your service Seamless Middle East has been a meeting place for the brightest and most innovative minds
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eamless Middle East 2021 is a global two-day conference with over 300 speakers covering the latest trends, market disruptors and technologies shaping the payments, fintech, retail and e-commerce world. It is being held on September 29 and 30 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre. It is a free-to-attend multi-brand exhibition hosting hundreds of international exhibitors showcasing cutting-
edge solutions and featuring the most innovative start-ups across the region. One of the Gold Sponsors is Makane, a Riyadh based e-commerce builder, which has nearly eliminated the entry barriers for companies wanting to sell their products online. This year’s exhibition will see hundreds of exhibitors from across the globe bringing cutting-edge products and solutions from mobile payments, data analytics, inventory management and point-of-sale, self-service and ATM’s to digital marketing and omnichannel retailing. Interact with all-star lineup of international and regional fintech companies. The value of a live event comes
from the quality of networking opportunities. There are several new initiatives alongside the annual networking features to accelerate collaboration and stimulate business connections. Meet with thousands of attendees and make quality contacts from over 100 countries via peer-to-peer private networking rooms, exhibition tours, the Seamless Awards, an AI-powered networking app and much more. One such exhibitor is CCAvenue, which has played a crucial role in the current scenario by enabling businesses to accept payments securely from customers through multiple payment modes such as ApplePay, SamsungPay and PayIt.
Vital player in payments UAE witnesses an unconventional digital transformation with increased adoption of contactless payments As the world continues to fight the prolonged effects of a global health emergency and an economic slowdown caused due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the one thing we know for sure is that 2021 will go down in history as the year of revival. Businesses were compelled to pivot their operations and strategies in almost no time and adapt to online payments to thrive in this era of digitisation. As businesses evolved with the changing times, the rapid shift in consumer’s payment behaviour has been incredible. It was reported recently that for the first time, 44 per cent of UAE-based businesses adopted contactless payments to serve their customers in a safe and protected ecospace. These changes in consumer behaviour induced by the pandemic have
now become the new normal since a larger segment of consumers has gained confidence in digital payments. CCAvenue has played a crucial role in the current scenario by enabling businesses to accept payments securely from customers through multiple payment modes such as ApplePay, SamsungPay and PayIt. Its Recurring Payments feature enables seamless payment collection for billing/subscription plans that customers have opted for on the merchant’s website. CCAvenue will also be shortly introducing a QR Code based payment feature that uses a static Merchant QR code, which customers can scan to complete payments securely and conveniently. With a 20-year successful track re-
cord in the Fintech space, CCAvenue serves over a million web merchants globally, across all major industry verticals. The leading payment aggregator has enhanced its focus on the education sector by enabling UAEbased institutions to accept online payments from students and parents from the convenience and safety of their homes. The real estate clientele of CCAvenue has also witnessed a spike in e-transactions as most of them encourage online payments for their various fees and charges. The UAE is also expecting a rise in the number of international tourists this year as gradually the country manages its way out of the Covid-19 situation. The tourism sector, which had witnessed a setback during the last year, is now gradually picking up pace with appropriate safety protocols. With Expo 2020 Dubai scheduled from October 2021 to March 2022, tourism is expected to grow further. Events such as the Expo and Seamless Middle East exhibition attract thousands of visitors and tourists from across the globe owing to the immersive cultural experience and educational features.
KHALEEJ TIMES ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
Direct to consumer
FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE? Providing technology that helps SMEs grow their businesses online MakanE, a Riyadh based e-commerce builder, has nearly eliminated the entry barriers for companies wanting to sell their products online using its innovative e-commerce platform. Traditionally, companies have two choices if they want to sell their products online: either create a bespoke e-commerce website, which is expensive and time consuming, or join an e-commerce marketplace which can charge as much as 30 per cent commission on each transaction. The MakanE platform provides solutions to both of these issues; its annual subscription is affordable, the website is up and running within 48 hours, and most importantly, they do not charge their customers commission. MakanE customers can take advantage of a wide range of benefits including custom domains, payment and shipping integrations, promotions, live chats, and many more. Customers can also have an application in their name on both Apple and Android devices, which is ideal for businesses with repeat and regular customers. Omar Koudsi, the co-founder and CEO of MakanE, believes that while online marketplaces do add value, Direct to Consumer (DTC) is the direction e-commerce is headed. “What we offer more than anything else is accessibility. SMEs no longer need to rely on footfall, if they have a good brand and a good product, all they’ll need is an effective online presence to call their own, which is
Omar Koudsi Co-founder and CEO Makane the inspiration behind the name MakanE.” MakanE translates to ‘My Place’ in Arabic, representing a business owner’s stake of real estate on the internet. When asked about which industries benefit the most from MakanE’s platform, Koudsi replied, “Almost any business that sells a physical item, but what we’ve noticed is the F&B industry has taken a liking to MakanE do it its express check out layout, ease of use for customers, and commission structure…or lack thereof.” MakanE currently has six offices and over 300 employees in the Middle East and is rapidly growing. MakanE was established in 2012 under the name ShopGo and was acquired by Mawdoo3.com in 2020. MakenE is one of the Gold Sponsors for the Seamless Middle East 2021.