- New initiative to offer an integrated platform for consumers to access local brands
- Shop Local aims to increase visibility for local businesses and improve access to customers
Quiqup, a UAE-based innovative e-commerce logistics provider, has launched Shop Local, a new initiative designed to help consumers discover and support local businesses across the UAE, while giving SMEs greater visibility and easier access to customers through a dedicated online platform.
“Shop Local” brings together UAE-based brands in one platform, making it easier for consumers to browse, discover, and buy from local businesses that may otherwise struggle to stand out in an increasingly crowded digital marketplace. The platform is open to small and local businesses across the UAE and is intended to help address one of the most common challenges SMEs face, being seen by the right customers, giving them a practical channel through which to build awareness, generate sales, and support longer-term growth.
Empowering innovative companies
Fatima Yousif Alnaqbi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at MoF, and the Ministry’s representative at MBRIF, said: “Enabling innovative, high-potential businesses to grow is central to building a stronger and more future-ready economy. When companies are supported at the right stage, they are better positioned to scale, contribute more meaningfully to the market, and create wider value across the business ecosystem. This is particularly important in the UAE, where innovation and entrepreneurship continue to play a vital role in driving economic progress and opening new opportunities for local businesses.”
Launched at a time when supporting local businesses has taken on even greater importance, Shop Local reflects growing momentum around practical initiatives that help SMEs strengthen their presence, and continue contributing to the wider economy.
Strengthening connections between individuals and businesses
Bassel El Koussa, CEO of Quiqup, said: “Small and local businesses are a vital part of the UAE’s economy, and supporting them is one of the most meaningful ways to contribute to the wider community. We have always believed that people and businesses come together more strongly around shared purpose, and Shop Local was created with that in mind. For us, this is about creating more opportunities for local brands to build momentum, deepen customer connections, and strengthen their presence in the market. We hope the initiative encourages more people to discover the businesses around them and play a more active role in supporting the local economy.”
Quiqup’s ability to launch an initiative of this kind also reflects the strength of the UAE’s wider innovation ecosystem, which continues to support high-potential businesses as they scale and mature. Over the years, Quiqup has been supported through the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund’s Guarantee Scheme, which has helped the company progress in its growth journey to a stage where it is now able to create wider value for other businesses in the market. In that sense, Shop Local is not only a Quiqup initiative, but also an example of how ecosystem support can enable promising businesses to evolve into platforms that contribute more broadly to economic activity.
With 190 brand submissions already received, Quiqup is continuing to invite more UAE-based businesses to join the platform, with the aim of supporting at least 250 businesses through Shop Local within the next few weeks.
The launch of Shop Local is set to be followed by Source Local, a similar initiative intended to generate real business leads for local suppliers and manufacturers. The Source Local solution will replicate the Shop Local format, with an integrated platform increasing visibility for local suppliers and manufacturers and linking them with potential customers.
