Parcels on a conveyor belt at an Amazon fulfillment center in Dartford, UK, Monday July 7, 2025.
Jason Alden | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon launched a new super-fast delivery service in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, capable of getting groceries, cosmetics, electronics and other household items to shoppers in 15 minutes or less.
The service is called Amazon Now and includes a range of “everyday essentials,” the company said in a statement.
Amazon said orders can be placed “24/7” and are shipped via micro-fulfillment centers, or small-format warehouses, located in neighborhoods across the UAE. Each location’s product selection is tailored “based on hyperlocal demand,” the company said.
Some locations can receive deliveries in as little as six minutes, Amazon said.
The UAE launch marks an expansion of Amazon Now, which debuted in Bangalore and New Delhi earlier this year. Amazon Now will compete with established “fast commerce” players like Zepto, Swiggy and Blinkit in India, as well as Noon and Careem in the UAE.
Amazon has built an extensive internal logistics and fulfillment network in recent years, which has given it greater control over delivery speeds.
The company is delivering more items the same or next day after making two-day delivery the norm, and it’s also launching delivery drones in pockets of the U.S. and Europe that can drop off some items in 30 minutes or less.
A wave of instant delivery startups has come to the United States in recent years, promising to drop items off shoppers’ doors in 15 minutes or less, but many of them have been acquired or shuttered, such as Russian company Buyk or Fridge No More, while Turkish company Getir left the United States last year.
Prime members get free shipping on Amazon Now orders over $6 (AED 25), while orders below that threshold will incur a delivery fee of around $1 (AED 6).
