Flowwow, a UAE-based gifting marketplace for local shops in 30+ countries, has unveiled insights from its latest market research on cross-border gifting trends in the UAE for the first three quarters of 2024.
Given so many expats live in the country, the research revealed 22% increase in overall gift purchases, with 20,1% of these gifts being sent abroad — up by 7% and 11% during the same period in 2022, 2023.
The top destinations for cross-border gifts were the United Kingdom (13%), Spain (12%), Turkey (10%), Russia (8%), the United States (7%), Egypt (6%), and Qatar (5%).
This upward trend in cross-border gifting highlights the UAE’s role as a global economic, financial and innovation hub and reflects broader patterns across the MENA region, where international connectivity is increasingly vital. Since 2020, about 400,000 people have relocated to the UAE. As of today, the number of expats in the UAE stands at 9,991 million, marking over 88% of the country’s population.
UAE Residents Send 20.1% of Gifts Abroad
From January to September 2024, domestic orders within the UAE accounted for a substantial 80% of total sales, reflecting the region’s rich hospitality and gifting traditions. These local gifts had an average spend of AED257.
- The leading destination for international gift deliveries was the United Kingdom, which comprised 13% of international sales, with an average spend of AED505.
- Spain followed closely, accounting for 12% of total orders and featuring an average spend of AED252.
- Turkey secured the third position with 10% of all international transactions, where the average gift cost was AED268.
- Russia featured prominently, accounting for 8% of total international gift orders, with an average spend of AED212.
- The UAE is a major market for gifts sent to India, with an average value ranging from AED20 to AED50.
Flowwow CEO Slava Bogdan said, “Cross-border gifting trend illustrates that people want to be close to their loved ones despite the distance, and it’s Flowwow mission to provide easy-to-use solutions with enhanced processes and user flow to foster gift exchange in different countries. I believe our business will keep on growing as long as people will keep on loving each other and finding ways to show their feelings to those they appreciate.”
