Astound Commerce expands into MENA with new Dubai HQ

 Dubai, UAE – 12^th September 2017 – Today, digital commerce experts Astound Commerce announced the opening of a new office in Dubai, which will become the headquarters for the company in the Middle East.  Heading up expansion into this region will be former Rackspace executive Khalid Khan, who joined the Astound team in July 2016. With a decade of experience working in the region, Khan will collaborate with Astound’s European HQ in London to grow the company’s customer base in MENA.

To date, Astound has already worked with a number high-profile, global brands in the Middle Eastern market, including Adidas, Puma, L’Oreal and Under Armour. The new office in Dubai will enable Astound to provide on-the-ground presence to existing customers, as well as position the company to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the MENA e-commerce market. Astound Commerce has 17 years of e-commerce expertise, having opened its first office in San Francisco in 2000. This was followed by expansion into the UK, Central and Eastern Europe and Colombia. The Dubai office bolsters Astound’s global reach and support for brands looking to launch an online presence across markets.

Astound’s UK MD, Terry Hunter commented: “Bringing Khalid on board demonstrates our dedication and ambitions for the Middle East. It’s still a young market from an e-commerce perspective, with many brands in the region only just starting their digital journey. Khalid’s cultural knowledge, awareness and industry expertise will be crucial to leading the charge in developing the retail landscape there, as well as re-educating brands about the digital opportunities that are currently just outside of their grasp.”

Formerly Business Development Director for the Middle East and Africa at Rackspace, Khan added: “The Middle East represents an interesting prospect for Astound – a cash rich, hugely diverse, but disparate and polarised market that generally lacks the know-how and expertise to move from physical store to online player. However, upcoming initiatives could help pull the nation out of its dependency on oil and gas, into a new, digitally-led and innovative retail market.”

“My role at the company will be to act as an ambassador both for the Middle Eastern region and the e-commerce industry as a whole. In addition to engaging with prospective customers and promoting digital commerce in the region, I’m excited to see how Astound can help transform brands’ perspective on boundaryless, 21^st century online retail.”