Souq.com participates in the new Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Investment initiative -‘Maroof’

Souq.com, the Middle East’s largest online retail and marketplace platform has gained the Maroof golden certificate - a new platform developed by Thiqah Business services under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Maroof’s goal is to further support the drive in boosting consumer trust between the customers and online stores as the e-commerce industry grows, making it a natural collaborator for Souq.com. 

Maroof, which launched last month, was created for both businesses and consumers engaging in e-commerce and aims to tackle issues faced by online businesses as well as also providing services to enhance the transparency between stores and customers, as the popularity of e-commerce increases within KSA. Maroof will see the e-commerce platform featured on the site allowing consumers to view comprehensive, detailed information about the platform, as well as check other consumer’s comments and leave their own reviews - in a drive to promote transparency and build consumer confidence in online shopping. 

Salman AlBarrak, Marketing Manager of Thiqah, said: “As e-commerce has become one of the fastest means of buying and selling products, our website “Maroof” is expected to be one of the best ways to consider and evaluate the online retailers in the Kingdom, which will benefit all parties involved from consumers to businesses. We are pleased to support online shops in this initiative and we are confident that this will enhance consumer trust in the region’s thriving e-commerce sector and drive further growth of the economy.” 

Saleem Hammad, General Manager of Souq.com commented: “Souq.com’s success is attributed to robust customer trust, which is of immense value to our business. We are dedicated to safe-guarding this growing trust as well as promoting best practice within e-commerce which will benefit the industry as a whole. We see our participation with Maroof as a strategic step in continuing to improve our own transparency and credibility.”

Maroof is a free e-service available at www.maroof.sa designed to enhance the trust between buyer and seller. E-commerce platforms such as Souq.com can register online to be a part of the service, where consumers can share their comments and evaluate the whole purchasing experience. In addition to this, it gives online retailers such as Souq.com and sellers, the chance to market their platform and products, and provide several touchpoints for consumers to communicate with them.