Online transactions avoided by UAE customers

[img_assist|nid=10169|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66]Security solutions provider Symantec conducted a study that revealed nearly 75% of UAE internet subscribers are fearful of online shopping as they consider it to be “unsafe” and risky. Yet according to the survey these customers turn out to lack information about online threats such as spam and botnet which results in their failure to protect themselves against the fraud when transacting online.

Having 67% of the population subscribed to the Internet the UAE has the highest penetration in the Middle East which means great potential to generate huge revenues from ecommerce. At the moment more and more online banking services partner with airline industries to provide e-tickets. Such an initiative contributed significantly to e-commerce growth.

In order to incite customers to shop online businesses need to offer security tools that will assure them that their information is not compromised. Souq.com introduced such options as "cash-on-delivery" and prepaid internet shopping cards or "cashU".

"Souq.com subscribers can also interact within the system through an integrated messaging platform. This allows potential buyers to [ask] sellers for clarification about products while shielding them both from possible spamming [and] phishing attempts that could result in their contact details being exposed," notes Sameh Lutfi, sales and marketing manager of Souq.com.

This approach led to the increase in the number of Internet users trusting the online shopping site and transacting with their credit cards over the web.