Imagine browsing AliExpress fluently in Arabic from your home in Saudi Arabia, with your desired products arriving at your doorstep within days. This is no longer a vision of the future but a present reality. AliExpress, the cross-border e-commerce platform under Alibaba, is rapidly expanding in Saudi Arabia—the Middle East's largest e-commerce market—and has become the second most visited e-commerce platform in the country.
Saudi Arabia's e-commerce market holds tremendous potential, valued at $13.33 billion and growing rapidly. AliExpress' success in this competitive landscape is no accident but the result of multiple strategic factors working in tandem. Here's how the platform has executed its "Saudi strategy":
1. Celebrity Endorsements: Targeted Marketing for Rapid Growth
Understanding the power of influence, AliExpress strategically partnered with Saudi football stars Salem Al-Dawsari and Firas Al-Buraikan as brand ambassadors. These locally beloved athletes helped boost the platform's visibility and credibility among Saudi consumers, proving more effective than traditional advertising campaigns.
2. Localized Services: Enhancing User Experience
AliExpress has implemented several market-specific improvements for Saudi users:
- Faster delivery options
- Delivery guarantees
- Free shipping and returns
- Arabic-language customer service
These enhancements have significantly improved shopping experiences and generated positive word-of-mouth—a crucial factor in Middle Eastern markets.
3. Logistics Optimization: Cainiao Network's Support
Addressing cross-border e-commerce's biggest challenge, AliExpress leveraged Cainiao Network to establish a nationwide "5-day delivery" system in Saudi Arabia. By building local warehouses and increasing logistics investments, the platform dramatically improved fulfillment efficiency and customer retention.
4. Product Expansion: Meeting Diverse Consumer Needs
Starting June 2025, Saudi Arabia's largest supermarket chain, Othaim, joined AliExpress, enabling consumers to purchase groceries, daily necessities, and electronics through the platform. This strategic partnership transformed AliExpress from a cross-border marketplace into a comprehensive shopping solution.
5. Comprehensive Advertising: Maximizing Market Penetration
AliExecute executed an aggressive marketing campaign featuring:
- Dominant presence in mall TV commercials
- Massive billboards in Riyadh's Times Square
- Collaborations with top social media influencers
This omnichannel approach ensured maximum visibility among target demographics.
AliExpress' success in Saudi Arabia demonstrates how cross-border e-commerce platforms can thrive by combining localized marketing, service optimization, logistics improvements, product diversification, and comprehensive advertising. The platform's strategy offers valuable insights for businesses seeking to establish themselves in the Middle East's growing digital marketplace.