Botim e-store enables UAE-based Pakistani expats to shop for their loved ones back home

Dubai: UAE’s Astra Tech (Astra) announced a joint venture with JW Holdings, Ruba Digital's (RD) parent company, to integrate RD’s offerings on Botim’s ultra app e-store. This would allow users in the UAE to purchase a wide range of consumer durables to be delivered in Pakistan through RD’s extensive retail chain network of 150+ outlets spanning 130 cities. The service would be launched soon, according to Astra officials. 

On Monday, Astra Tech announced that Pakistani expats based in the UAE will also benefit from Shariah-compliant financing options of up to 12 instalments. Non-UAE Botim users can buy electronics from RD via the app, but only UAE users can currently access Shariah-compliant instalment financing alone.

Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Founder of Astra Tech and CEO of Botim, said, “The integration of RD into the Botim e-store enables us to make advanced solutions accessible to Pakistani expats in the UAE, making the process of purchasing and delivering items to friends and family based in Pakistan easy.” Plans are also underway to expand the service to other countries.

JW Holdings is into a bouquet of business lines, including home appliances, electronics, automotive, glassware, packaging, agriculture, retail, e-commerce, sports, and foundation.

Muhammad Javed Afridi, Chief Executive Officer of JW Holdings, said, “Shopping through the Botim stores while sitting in UAE, with the deliveries bound in Pakistan for their families, will be a unique and unprecedented experience for users who could easily opt either for a Cash settlement or for Shariah-Compliant instalment financing plans.”