Major entities striking deals to support economic growth has become a trend in the region. Luxury fashion retail site Namshi, a Rocket Internet company, has announced a partnership with MSN Arabia in the Gulf, exclusively represented by the digital advertising company Connect Ads, an OTVentures company affiliated with Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding (OTMT).

MSN Arabia is trying to adopt a marketing concept that reaches beyond traditional marketing tactics, said Amir Harbi, digital sales director at Connect Ads. For instance, rather than a banner on the MSN homepage, Namshi will have an actual store on the MSN homepage.

Namshi’s leading position in the region’s e-commerce sector encouraged MSN Arabia to establish this partnership. "We choose our partnerships carefully; Namshi has been able to gain the Saudi consumer’s confidence less than two years after it was launched, thanks to its reliable products, valuable discounts, and various payment methods on its platform, as well as its delivery service which is the fastest among its competitors in the Kingdom. This encouraged us to take that step without the slightest fear of losing the trust of our customers," says Harbi.

According to Amr Aboelinin, Head of Display and SEO at Namshi, the company is keen to "study consumer’s attitudes on its pages, and the nature of the Gulf markets."

This partnership requires MSN Arabia to display Namshi’s logo on its homepage which has often been associated with the fashion world in the minds of the Arab shoppers. Namshi will manage all the details of sales operations on the MSN store.

The MSN deal comes less than a month after Namshi’s launch of a specialized World Cup store called Namshi Koora.