More than 50% feel that the importance of online services has been elevated by the pandemic.

A large-scale move towards the online marketplace may have come as a necessity to find a way around restrictions on movement during the lockdown, but the trend of buying everything from groceries to electronics digitally is clearly here to stay as part of the new normal. Acknowledging this irreversible transformation in consumer preferences, retailers as well as major firms in the UAE have embraced digitisation, which is a natural choice considering the level of connectivity as well as digital support available in the country.

From banking to remote work and ordering medicines or accessing online consultations, smartphone apps have become the go to medium for tapping into the plethora of services available in the digital ecosystem taking shape around us. This fast-paced journey towards the future of business has also prompted most entrepreneurs to accept the fact that they simply cannot stay relevant among the new-age clientele, if they don't invest in sophisticated smartphone apps, that can operate swiftly.

As part of a survey conducted by a global market intelligence firm, an overwhelming majority of 84% ventures in the UAE described digital platforms as a non-negotiable requirement for reaching out to consumers in the connected era. More than half of them also shared the observation that during the pandemic, demand for contactless purchases as well as transactions went up significantly.

Rising competition and the accelerated push for digitisation has led to more than 90% business owners developing smartphone apps, while an even larger number of entrepreneurs seek to scale up investment in mobile marketing. This transition is also more convenient in a country like the UAE, which has been lauded for tech integration and is among the top ten cashless economies across the globe.

Speaking of digital services, most government agencies as well as local bodies in Dubai and its neighbouring cities are also going paperless, by enabling online bill payments, litigation and registration of complaints with a few clicks.