Lyve Global, a UAE-headquartered logistics solutions and technology company with a presence in 12 countries worldwide, has announced the launch of its new convenient cross-border delivery services for smaller UAE-based e-commerce businesses.

The new offering has been tailored for the Saudi Arabia market, although the Lyve team is planning to launch a cross-border delivery service to other GCC countries too. With the provision of extremely competitive rates with prepaid or cash-on-delivery options, as well as no minimum orders required for shipping, these cross-border delivery bookings can be arranged completely online.

At the same time, the Lyve team ensures that all paperwork is error-free, which facilitates a hiccup-free and speedy custom clearance for the requisite deliveries. As a result, e-commerce clients can ship goods to Saudi Arabia every day, with them ensured delivery to customers within three to six working days.

We spoke with Ian Caron, Senior Director Of Operations, Lyve Global, to learn more about its cross-border delivery service for small businesses in the UAE. Excerpts from an interview below:

Why is Lyve Global’s cross-border delivery service such an important addition to its offering?

Simply listening to the recurring pain-points encountered by most companies with this specific delivery lane has driven us to work out a simple yet seamless door to door solution, focused on mitigating any customs and other potential transit delays. It’s a simple four-step process from collection, documentation, transit clearance, and delivery to end consumer, which is handled 100% on behalf of our client. The confidence which our clients have expressed about, and the commitment to the services that they have come to expect from our e-commerce team is proving that reliable services at reasonable prices are a winning formula. This retains and expands the work collaboration with our clients into other markets.

Why are cross-border delivery services becoming vital to the e-commerce business today?

Cross-border delivery services have multiple benefits for e-commerce businesses. Expanding customer base and tapping into new markets can increase sales while helping businesses learn about the demand in different markets– potentially leading to creating new products and growing the business. Cross-border delivery can also save on inventory cost and increase profits by ensuring that products no longer sit in warehouses for long periods of time.

What were some of the hurdles Lyve faced while launching this service?

Reliable services are pricy, though extremely low-priced services can be found, driving some clients to request to match those rates. However, such services are not focused on the quality of service, and what might be cheaper to begin with could end up being far more costly once clients encounter transit issues due to improper documentation, lack of visibility with their customs agent, and/or delivery team.

How has the market response been so far?

Extremely positive and promising, leading us to plan on establishing delivery solutions across the rest of the GCC countries first before tackling the MENA region, and ultimately going global– in parallel with our current office expansion worldwide.

In the past 12 months, how has the e-commerce market grown in the region?

The region’s e-commerce has thrived during the pandemic, with lockdowns becoming a catalyst for a new purchasing behavior, with more customers turning to online shopping. A whopping 80% of young Arabs shopped online frequently in 2020, compared to 71% in 2019. E-commerce sales in the MENA region are expected to reach US$48.6 billion in 2022, and the UAE, KSA, and Egypt currently account for more than 80% of the region’s overall e-commerce market. As for cross border e-commerce, 66% of online shoppers in the Middle East placed purchases outside of the region. Fashion and beauty alone are roughly a $5 billion market in the GCC, and they happen to be one of the region’s fastest growing e-commerce categories. Along with electronics, home products, and groceries, they make up 98% of the UAE and KSA’s e-commerce. These staggering figures highlight e-commerce’s transformation from a channel with a promising future to a potential pillar of economic growth. This stresses the need to establish a solid infrastructure for cross-border delivery solutions.

What’s next for Lyve Global?

Our growing synergies with major brands throughout the e-commerce, courier, pharmaceutical, telecommunication, and banking sectors is proof that although business is already thriving. We’re simply scratching the surface with regards to our non-food logistics endeavors domestically, regionally, and on a global scale.

Related: With Its Rebranding, Lyve Gets Set To Shake Up The Last Mile Delivery Sector In The Middle East