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Yalla!Hub Forms New Partnership With WEE Marketplace
The collaboration will accelerate e-commerce digitalization and allow for speedy deliveries across the Gulf countries.
After raising $6 million to expand into Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Yalla!Hub is now set to collaborate with WEE to facilitate the sale of products through both YallaMarket and the WEE marketplace. The companies plan to enhance the GCC e-commerce market using a range of innovative solutions for sales and delivery, presenting new opportunities for Emirati-based and foreign suppliers.
“This collaboration with WEE Marketplace signifies a major step forward in our mission to revolutionize e-commerce through digitalization in the UAE and GCC, making market entry and operations smoother both for customers and businesses. With this partnership, we’re able to extend the reach of brands to a wider audience,” explained Leo Dovbenko, CEO of Yalla!Hub.
Meanwhile, new partner WEE is uniquely positioned in the UAE and already well known for fast delivery services. The company’s WEE Marketplace will soon feature goods from Yalla!Hub on their platform, empowering Dubai shoppers with 1-hour delivery windows and a next-day service across the rest of the Emirates.
“WEE Marketplace and Yalla!Hub are absolute leaders of the UAE fast e-commerce market, and this partnership opens new horizons for brands, allowing them to enter at once both platforms. We choose the brands very carefully, aiming to give the best products to our customers,” said Anastasia Kim, CEO and co-founder of WEE marketplace.
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The Emirati e-commerce market has now reached a value of nearly $13 billion and is expected to grow to $20 billion by 2027. Express deliveries account for 5.5% of total merchandise turnover, which currently stands at around $700 million. Among the express delivery categories, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, flowers, and groceries lead the way.
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Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
The Kingdom’s creator economy grew over 32% in Q1 2025, fueled by TikTok, UGC, and cost-per-action (CPA) influencer models.
Saudi Arabia’s creator economy saw a significant 32.37% growth in the first quarter of 2025, driven by an uptick in influencer marketing, content-driven e-commerce, and the increasing influence of user-generated content (UGC). These insights come from a recent study by Admitad and the Stllr Network.
Much of this momentum is coming from video-based platforms, where brands are leaning on creators who feel more relatable than polished ad campaigns. The trend shows a clear preference for authenticity, as audiences gravitate toward content that feels real and personal.
Mohannad Alzahrani, Co-founder and VP KSA of Stllr Network, highlighted the shift: “The rise of user-generated content (UGC) is changing the way brands engage with consumers. Audiences trust real creators more than traditional advertising, making UGC a key driver of authenticity and sales”.
TikTok remains the dominant platform in this space, reportedly reaching 88% of the Saudi population. It also showed the sharpest rise in influencer-led transactions. Other platforms followed with solid, if less dramatic, growth: X was up 17%, Instagram increased by 12%, and Telegram by 10%.
In terms of content niches, beauty led the pack with a 56% growth rate, followed by lifestyle at 45.8% and fashion at 18.2%. Tech content also showed healthy traction at 10.6%, while entertainment, food, fitness, parenting, and gaming posted smaller — but still positive — gains.
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The report analyzed more than 300,000 influencer-driven purchases. These efforts translated into a 15% year-on-year jump in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and a 5% increase in the number of orders in 2024. Influencers themselves are seeing the benefit, with average order values hitting $54 and creator earnings rising by 14%.
A noticeable trend is the move away from fixed-rate deals. More influencers in Saudi Arabia are embracing hybrid compensation models — especially cost-per-action (CPA) setups that tie their earnings directly to performance.
As Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad, explains, “The CPA model brings much-needed transparency to influencer marketing. Brands only pay for actual results, and influencers benefit by securing long-term partnerships while offering their audiences exclusive promo codes and special discounts”.
However, the ecosystem still shows a gender imbalance. The data indicates that 63% of creators in Saudi Arabia are men, while women account for just 37%.
Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
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