Dubai Future Foundation and Amazon Launch New Gig Economy Program under "Sandbox Dubai" The pilot program with Amazon UAE provides opportunities for individuals and small business owners to earn additional and flexible income through on-foot delivery services, especially in densely populated areas across Dubai.

Dubai Future Foundation and Amazon UAE announced the launch of an innovative program that will enable individuals to participate in the gig economy by delivering Amazon packages on-foot to customers.

This comes after Amazon signed an agreement to join the Dubai Future Foundation's Sandbox Dubai initiative, specifically within the Gig Economy sector, which was approved by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation. The Sandbox aims to develop the legislative environment in support of futuristic and innovative economic models.

The pilot program with Amazon UAE provides opportunities for individuals and small business owners to earn additional and flexible income through on-foot delivery services, especially in densely populated areas across Dubai. It also enhances the utilization of idle working hours, while enabling businesses to scale efficiently. This initiative is in line with Dubai's commitment to enabling pioneering practices.

Furthermore, the model is expected to reduce the reliance on delivery vehicles, helping to ease traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions, aligning with Dubai's sustainability goals.

Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, said, "We are excited to partner with the Dubai Future Foundation through the Sandbox Dubai initiative to launch new delivery models in Dubai, supporting our mission to serve customers with speed, convenience, and reliability. We remain committed to leveraging our global expertise, scale, and technology to create new possibilities that boost the gig economy and entrepreneurship, as well as promote economic growth through greater flexibility for individuals and businesses. This collaboration with Dubai Future Foundation is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships in unlocking transformative solutions that will accelerate Dubai's digital economy."

His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, confirmed that this collaboration with Amazon UAE comes within the framework of public-private sector collaboration to develop the legislative environment supporting innovation in Dubai and the UAE, and to launch qualitative pilot projects that benefit society and contribute to enhancing economic competitiveness and future readiness.

It's worth noting that "Sandbox Dubai" is one of the key transformational projects within the Dubai's Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the Emirate's economy over the next decade and consolidate its position among the world's top three economic cities.

The "Sandbox Dubai" platform provides an ideal opportunity for innovators to test and develop their market-ready business models, products, and services within a realistic and safe environment, supported by expert guidance and flexible regulatory supervision that helps them overcome challenges and accelerate their market entry.

It also contributes to enhancing Dubai as a global innovation hub by supporting real-world experiments that provide accurate data to regulatory bodies, helping develop evidence-based policies that support sustainable and progressive growth.