Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) Group and Amazon UAE have announced a strategic collaboration designed to transform the retail experience across the United Arab Emirates through advanced technology and improved delivery infrastructure. The partnership was formalised via a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 23 October 2025 in Dubai.
Under the agreement, ENOC’s extensive network of convenience stores and fuel-service stations will serve as quick-fulfilment hubs for Amazon’s growing e-commerce operations in the UAE. Amazon plans to repurpose select ENOC sites located in urban neighbourhoods to bring “everyday essentials and high-demand products” closer to customers, with the aim of reducing delivery distances and easing traffic congestion.
In parallel, ENOC’s “ZOOM” convenience-store concept is set to explore Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology a cashier-free shopping experience that allows customers to make purchases without stopping at checkout counters. The two companies also plan to make ENOC’s product portfolio available directly on the Amazon.ae marketplace for the first time. Entrepreneur
A Shift Toward Hyper-Local Fulfilment
Retail analysts note that the ENOC–Amazon tie-up epitomises a broader trend in the Gulf region: global digital commerce leaders partnering with local bricks-and-mortar networks to accelerate fulfilment efficiency and improve customer experience. By converting ENOC’s locations into micro-fulfilment centres, Amazon can reduce last-mile delivery times, a key differentiator in a market where convenience and speed are increasingly important.
The strategic move aligns with the UAE government’s digital-commerce and urban-mobility policies, which emphasise reducing vehicle traffic, enhancing local services and supporting sustainable urban infrastructure. Amazon’s delivery optimisation through ENOC sites is expected to support this agenda.
Implications for Retail and Logistics
For Amazon UAE, the collaboration strengthens its logistics footprint without major new construction by leveraging an existing national network. This provides an opportunity to scale rapidly, tapping into ENOC’s neighbourhood service-stations and petrol-station convenience stores. For ENOC, the partnership represents a step beyond traditional fuel-retail operations into e-commerce and digital fulfilment, enhancing its non-fuel retail channel.
Together, the companies may implement tiered fulfilment options, including ultra-fast delivery zones, click-and-collect at service stations and joint promotions. Over time, the collaboration could evolve into seamless omnichannel models where fuel, convenience-store purchases and online retail merge into a unified customer experience.
Consumer Experience and Technology Integration
Customers can expect new features such as faster delivery of small goods and groceries, enhanced product availability via Amazon.ae and friction-free in-store experiences at ENOC ZOOM locations. The introduction of Just Walk Out technology means users may soon shop at select ENOC-Amazon locations without queueing scanning in on arrival and simply walking out after collecting items. The system automatically charges the customer’s Amazon wallet or linked payment method.
From a technology standpoint, the initiative will require integration of Amazon’s real-time inventory and fulfilment systems with ENOC’s network, as well as deployment of sensors and cameras for cashier-less operation. The use of neighbourhood fulfilment hubs also demands sophisticated routing algorithms and dynamic stock placement to optimise delivery metrics.
Strategic and Sustainable Outcomes
The collaboration is strategically timed as the UAE intensifies efforts to bolster its digital economy and position itself as a regional hub for trade and logistics. By enhancing last-mile delivery efficiency and repurposing existing urban assets, the partnership aligns with sustainability objectives such as reducing vehicle miles travelled and utilising existing infrastructure-footprint more effectively.
As Hussain Sultan Lootah, Acting CEO of ENOC Group, stated: “This collaboration with Amazon allows us to bring world-class technology to our customers in the UAE. It not only enhances convenience and efficiency but reshapes the way customers shop while solidifying our role in shaping the future of UAE’s retail industry.”
Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon Middle East, Africa and Turkey, added: “We are proud to join forces with ENOC, a household name and pioneer in the UAE. This collaboration reflects our shared vision to make digital retail innovation even more convenient… while supporting the UAE’s digital transformation and sustainable urban-development goals.”
Challenges and Considerations
While the initiative is promising, implementing neighbourhood-fulfilment networks and cashier-less convenience stores carries operational challenges. Converting petrol-station-centred sites into retail fulfilment hubs requires infrastructure upgrades, inventory management enhancements and customer-service training. Balancing fuel-retail operations with fast-moving consumer-goods fulfilment will require careful planning.
The integration of Amazon’s global data systems with ENOC’s national network also has cybersecurity, privacy and logistics-control implications. Ensuring that fulfilment nodes operate reliably across hundreds of sites and that delivery commitments are met in crowded urban locations will be critical to maintaining customer trust.
Outlook
The ENOC-Amazon partnership could serve as a blueprint for how energy and retail service players pivot toward digital commerce in the Gulf region. As urban density grows and delivery expectations increase, micro-fulfilment hubs embedded in community locations could become standard. The pilot phase in the UAE may lead to replication in other Gulf states where both companies operate.
For consumers, the outcome may be faster deliveries, more product choice and a smoother in-store digital experience. For the broader retail sector, the shift reinforces the necessity of omnichannel and fulfilment innovation even in traditionally offline segments.
Conclusion
The strategic collaboration between ENOC Group and Amazon UAE marks a significant milestone in the evolution of retail and logistics in the UAE. By merging ENOC’s widespread network with Amazon’s digital retail and fulfilment technologies, the partnership aims to deliver faster and more convenient shopping experiences while supporting the country’s sustainable urban-development objectives. How swiftly and effectively both companies execute joint initiatives will determine their success in reshaping the UAE retail landscape.
