Dubai: Online store noon has launched in Egypt, the company said on Tuesday, entering its third regional market after Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) e-commerce site, launched by Dubai businessman Mohammad Al Abbar and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2017, has gone live in a testing phase across Egypt.

"Customers are able to start ordering from the site, a spokesperson for the company confirmed."

A statement from noon said that “customers in Egypt are welcome to try noon’s offering via desktop or app... during this initial test period.”

The platform currently has a fully operational customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Greater Cairo’s Abu Rawash area, and has said it plans to open an additional five centres to ensure service to all cities is “quick and efficient.”

“E-commerce is still relatively new in Egypt,” said Al Abbar, adding: “Noon has the opportunity to help shape a digital marketplace perfect for the country with this beta launch.”

With a large percentage of the population below 30, and the highest number of internet users in the Arab world, Egypt’s youth has “tremendous potential to build a vibrant tech-based economy,” the statement added.