In a recent interview, Ronaldo Mouchawar, VP for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey (MEAT) at Amazon, shared key insights into the e-commerce giant’s regional strategy. Drawing from his entrepreneurial roots as the founder of Souq.com, Mouchawar emphasized a leadership philosophy grounded in customer obsession and technology-driven scale, which has enabled Amazon to navigate the diverse MENA landscape and even use it as a launchpad for global services.
From Souq Founder to Amazon VP
Mouchawar highlighted two core principles he has carried from his time at Souq.com into his role at Amazon. The first is an unwavering commitment to staying close to customers and operators, from meeting with sellers to doing ride-alongs with drivers, to maintain a real-world perspective on the business. The second is a deep reliance on technology to solve problems at scale, arguing that while starting a business is easy, scaling it consistently requires robust tech infrastructure to meet customer needs reliably.
Balancing Global Scale with Local Nuance
A key theme of Amazon’s regional success has been its ability to merge its global operational standards with a deep understanding of local market particularities. While core principles like wide selection, competitive pricing, and convenience are universal, Mouchawar noted significant differences across the region. The primary challenges have consistently been in payments, delivery logistics, and addressing systems. In markets without formal postal codes, Amazon developed its own mapping and last-mile networks. Similarly, the company adapted to diverse payment habits, from credit cards in the Gulf to a higher prevalence of cash-on-delivery in markets like Egypt, reflecting varying levels of digital payment adoption and consumer trust.
MENA as a Global Innovation Hub
The MENA region’s demand for speed and convenience was a critical factor in it becoming the global launchpad for Amazon Now, the company’s ultra-fast delivery service. Mouchawar explained that as customers increasingly turned to Amazon for daily essentials like groceries, the need for immediate delivery became paramount. This led to the creation of services that can deliver products in as little as six minutes. The strategy involves a multi-tiered delivery ecosystem, from 10-minute services for immediate needs to two-hour “Rush” deliveries and standard one-day or five-day global shipping options, all managed from a single app.
The Power of Strategic Partnerships
To achieve this level of speed and proximity, Mouchawar stressed the importance of local partnerships. Rather than building everything from scratch, Amazon has collaborated with established regional players. Initial forays into fresh grocery delivery were done in partnership with major chains like Lulu in the UAE and Al Othaim in Saudi Arabia. For its quick commerce services, Amazon works with entities that have a strong local presence, such as Emirates Post’s 7X and various petrol station and grocery chains, repurposing existing assets to serve customers more efficiently.
AI Powering the Future of E-commerce
Mouchawar identified Artificial Intelligence as a “massive shift” transforming every aspect of Amazon’s operations. Generative AI is being deployed to optimize logistics down to the second, helping position products in micro-warehouses closer to anticipated demand and calculating precise delivery times. For sellers on the platform, AI is powering enhanced marketing, listing, and inventory management tools. He compared the current AI revolution to the advent of the internet and mobile phone, noting that agentic AI like the US-based “Rufus” shopping assistant will fundamentally change how customers interact with e-commerce in the future.
About Amazon
Amazon is a global technology company focused on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Originally an online marketplace for books, it has expanded to sell a vast range of products and services, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Prime Video, and devices like the Kindle and Echo. The company is known for its customer-centric approach, operational excellence, and continuous innovation.
Source: Gulf Business
