Camels, sand and online shopping. Wait, what? When people think about the Middle East—composed of countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Oman, UAE—they often think about the first two things. But online shopping? Yeah, it’s true, the Middle East loves to shop online. After all, locals as well as expats do have the spending power. What are the most popular online sites in the region? Here’s the cream of the e-commerce crop in the Middle East.

Mumzworld

If you’re looking for a tantrum-free place to shop for items for babies, kids and mothers, you can’t go wrong with Mumzworld. Established in 2011, the online site is the largest provider of such products in the Middle East. Mumzworld products are from local and international retailers. Prices are competitive. It offers free delivery for items 200 AED and above. Local deliveries are also free. In the UAE, orders are delivered within 2-3 days. Mumzworld also offers toys, books and apparel for pre-teens.

Souq

‘Souq’ or ‘Souk’ in Arabic means literally means ‘market’. And that’s what resembles the ecommerce site’s list of products. It’s a merry mix of electronics, fashion and beauty products, appliances, cookware, toys and even perfume. Today, the online site has over 400,000 products in their various categories.

Souq started in 2005 and now covers the region of both the Middle East (Kuwait, UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt) and North Africa.

What makes Souq different (and similar to an actual market) is you can sell your products on the website. Just follow their instructions on how you can become of the site’s sellers.

SC Webstore

SC Webstore maybe the new kid on the online block, but its big brother is already a neighborhood legend. Sports Corner has been the leading sports retail store in Qatar since 1979. It has numerous stores in the small, oil-rich country. It’s basically a household name. So it’s just natural that they go online, thus SC Webstore was born.

The online shop has a line-up of brands like Nike, Reebok, Speedo, and Asics and features the best Italian brands in Lotto and Diadora. And its brand line up is expected to grow even more. SC Webstore has the charisma and warm, familiar appeal of Sports Corner, but still has its own distinct personality. It has regular promotions—like 25% off on first purchase which includes free shipping—and a blog where you can get the latest sports, health and fitness information.

MarkaVIP

Established in 2010, MarkaVIP is a pioneer in terms of online shopping in the region. It has over 300 employees under its wing. The online shop boasts of international brands for men, women and kids. Most of the brands offered are high end, which is not really a problem with the spending power of the people in the Middle East. MarkaVIP is the preferred store for people in UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Namshi

Namshi was only established in 2011, but has made a mark, especially in the market of 20 somethings. Its main target is the more fashion-conscious crowd—male or female. The site is dominated by international brands. Despite catering to fashionistas, its categories also include stuff for kids. Namshi is quite popular in Dubai. Moreover, the online site has a 14-day policy for free returns for customers dissatisfied with the products.

Jadopado

Jadopado is another site which offers everything but the kitchen sink… well, most likely you’ll find an actual kitchen sink being sold. Anyway, customers can buy from the site as well as open a store so they can sell their wares. Despite its wide array of products, Jadopado is known as a good place to buy electronics and gadgets. The online site’s headquarters is also situated in Dubai.