KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Sept – Malaysian businesses exploring the UAE and Gulf markets will be among those attending Yalla Commerce 2026, a two day summit bringing together companies from across the digital commerce sector.
The summit will be held at the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) on Sept 22 and 23, with participants from the UAE, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Malaysia and ASEAN.
Companies taking part operate in areas including business setup, licensing, marketplaces, logistics, fulfilment, payments, retail and distribution.
The event is aimed at online sellers, direct to consumer brands, retailers and established consumer businesses exploring opportunities in the Gulf.
Among the participating companies are Dubai CommerCity, Alibaba, FedEx, Pos Malaysia, Razorpay Curlec and Vinculum.
The summit is supported by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Yalla Commerce founder and chief executive officer Arfa Hussain said businesses entering a new market needed to understand its requirements and identify the right partners.
“I saw firsthand how difficult it is for businesses to enter a new market without the right network. The summit is designed to bring that network within reach, so founders and brands can meet the people who can actually help them expand,” she said.
She said businesses also needed to understand areas such as licensing, logistics, marketplaces, payments, fulfillment and local partnerships when entering another country.
“Yalla Commerce brings those conversations closer together. For Malaysian businesses looking at the UAE and Gulf, this means they can begin meeting the people involved in making that expansion possible without first having to build the entire network from overseas,” she said.
Dubai CommerCity is joining the summit as Diamond Sponsor and Official Gateway to the Middle East Partner.
The dedicated digital commerce free zone provides services covering business setup, logistics, warehousing, fulfilment, technology and other specialised areas for companies establishing and expanding in the UAE and wider region.
The summit comes as Malaysia and the UAE continue to strengthen commercial ties under the Malaysia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which provides a framework for trade and business cooperation between the two countries.
The event is also expected to draw founders, online sellers, brands, retailers and technology companies from across ASEAN and the Gulf.
The summit comes at a time when cross-border e-commerce is increasingly becoming part of companies’ international growth strategies, particularly as businesses look beyond their domestic markets for new consumers and distribution channels.
The inaugural Yalla Commerce Summit is part of Yalla Commerce’s broader effort to strengthen digital commerce links between high growth markets, starting with the UAE-Malaysia and GCC-ASEAN corridors.