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Q-com startup promises to address SME gap with Amazon, Noon and others

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Kumar Shyam

A new e-commerce marketplace startup is promising to fill “the gap” it sees with giants such as Amazon, Noon and others as it prepares for a launch on August 27.

Veppy.com will be a Q-commerce (Q for quick), the faster version of an e-commerce operation, and promises delivery for certain categories of products in less than three hours.

According to the top brass, founder-chairman Moustafa Banbouk and vice president Praveen Kumar, a large part of SMEs are “not yet on the digital platforms” for sales. And small and medium enterprises constitute more than 80 percent of UAE’s economy.

With Veppy, which takes its name from the company motto “very happy”, sellers can look forward to connecting with buyers over 14 categories to start with. Most of the focus will be on products, which are gift ideas mostly.

“Imagine we have an occasion we forgot and need to buy a gift – flowers, cakes, any tech product – urgently and we are at work … with Veppy we can address that,” Mr Banbouk told Headline at a hotel in Dubai.

His deputy Mr Kumar, who has built a career out of focusing on digital transformation for his clients, explained that the company will not be investing in warehouses and will directly connect the buyer with the seller to ensure the quickness of product delivery.

“There will be no fees for registering for the seller, and we will offer a consultative process during the onboarding of the seller. However, there will be a fee with each transaction involved for the seller,” Mr Kumar said.

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Mr Banbouk, a property developer in a family business in Lebanon, is excited about succeeding with his q-commerce model in UAE, the land of opportunities and where digital growth is the best in the region.

Q-Commerce – sometimes used interchangeably with ‘on-demand delivery’ and ‘e-grocery’ – is e-commerce in a new, faster form. It combines the merits of traditional e-commerce with innovations in last-mile delivery.

It is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the world. Driven by the changing consumer behavior dominated by last-minute shopping trends, the Q-Commerce market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is expected to grow from US$9 billion in 2020 to US$20 billion by 2024, according to Statista.com, a global market intelligence provider. Globally, the Q-Commerce market for food and grocery delivery is expected to grow to $72 billion by 2025, according to a report by Forbes magazine.

An analysis by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed during the Gulfood Breakfast Briefing event at Gulfood 2021 that as per Euromonitor’s data, online sales within the UAE’s food and beverage market surged 255% year-over-year in 2020 to reach $412 million.

The analysis predicted the value of online food and beverage sales in the country to reach $619 million by 2025 and record a compound annual growth (CAGR) of 8.5% over the 2020-2025 period.

The latest estimates from Visa Middle East have forecasted the total MENA E-Commerce market size, including all categories, to be worth US$48.6 billion in 2022.

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Dubai Investor Expands Global Footprint with London Investment Firm

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A Dubai businessman has launched a London-based investment company to acquire stakes in private and listed businesses in the United Kingdom and international markets.
Hari Shankar Tibrewala, who founded Dubai-based Zenith Global Limited and Zenith Multi Trading DMCC, said the new company, Zenith Global Ventures Ltd, would invest exclusively its own capital.
Based in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, the company will focus on established private businesses, selected listed shares, technology and artificial intelligence, and strategic acquisitions. It will consider minority and controlling stakes, including investments where it can participate in governance and strategy.
“Zenith Global Ventures has been set up to be a patient, disciplined owner of quality businesses. Because we invest our own capital, we can take a long-term view, back strong management teams and focus on lasting value rather than short-term results,” said Tibrewala, its founder and director.
According to the company, it has no outside investors or fixed fund life, allowing it to hold investments without a predetermined exit timetable.
Zenith said it would assess potential investments on earnings, cash flow, balance-sheet strength and competitive position, alongside management quality and governance. Each opportunity would undergo due diligence and be subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
For listed shares, the company said it would seek businesses it considers undervalued. Its technology and AI investments would focus on companies it believes can sustain a competitive advantage.
The company cited London’s legal framework, capital markets and connections with Europe, the Gulf and Asia as reasons for choosing the city as its base.
Tibrewala established investment holding company Zenith Global Limited in Dubai in 2013, followed by Zenith Multi Trading DMCC in 2014. He moved to London in 2024.
Zenith Global Ventures said it does not manage third-party funds or offer investments to the public.

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MIRAL Joins 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 as official experience partner

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Yas Island will become the official experiences partner of the Abu Dhabi T10 for its 2026 edition, under a new partnership between Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH) and Miral.

Under the agreement, all six Abu Dhabi T10 franchises will be based on Yas Island during the tournament, while a number of events linked to the competition will also be held across the destination.

The partnership will include the tournament’s Trophy Launch, Opening Party and Closing Party, with Yas Island’s attractions and venues forming part of the wider Abu Dhabi T10 experience for players, teams, partners and fans.

“We are thrilled to welcome Yas Island as the Official Experiences Partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi T10,” said Matthew Boucher, CEO of Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub and Abu Dhabi T10.

“The island is an unbelievable destination which will provide an exceptional setting for our teams, our players and for many of the tournament experiences.”

Leon Marsh, Miral’s director of events, said the partnership reflected a shared aim of creating experiences for “fans, teams and families alike”.

“Yas Island is the ideal setting for the key moments and flagship events taking place during this year’s Abu Dhabi T10,” he said.

The 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 Draft, held at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, saw 108 players selected by six franchises: Arabian Aces, Emirates Eagles, Royal Desert Champions, UAE Bulls, United Tigers and Yas Lions.

The tournament will take place at Zayed Cricket Stadium from 7 to 20 November, bringing together international players for the 10-over competition.

The partnership is also intended to promote Abu Dhabi as a destination combining international sport, leisure and entertainment, with Yas Island providing the base for the teams throughout the tournament.

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Dubai-born HOP Events targets 25 cities in global expansion

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A Dubai-founded events company is planning to expand into 25 cities worldwide over the next two years, as it looks to build an international business around music and culture.

HOP Events, founded by Dubai-based entrepreneur Kalpesh Kinariwala, said it aims to stage more than 250 events a year across 75 venues and arenas, reaching more than one million people annually.

Its planned expansion includes London, New York, Doha and Singapore, alongside its existing base in Dubai.

The company has organised concerts featuring artists including A.R. Rahman, Arijit Singh, Lucky Ali, Nancy Ajram, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and sitarist Rishab Sharma.

HOP now plans to broaden its programme beyond large-scale concerts, with storytelling, art and other cultural events forming part of its international expansion.

“Our goal has never been to build an events company,” Kinariwala said. “We’re building a platform where culture becomes a catalyst for connection.”

The plans were outlined after a recent Dubai event featuring storyteller Laksh Maheshwari.

HOP is the cultural arm of PANTHEON ACR, a Dubai-based venture founded by Kinariwala with interests spanning art, culture and real estate.

Kinariwala said Dubai’s position as a city with a large international population provided the starting point for HOP’s expansion.

The company said its programme over the next 24 months would feature both established international performers and emerging creative talent, alongside storytelling and other cultural experiences.

“The moments people carry with them for years are rarely the biggest,” Kinariwala said. “They are the moments that make us feel connected, inspired, understood or part of something larger than ourselves.”

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