Dubai Future Foundation and Amazon UAE have jointly launched an innovative programme under the Sandbox Dubai initiative to enable individuals to participate in the gig economy by delivering Amazon packages on foot. This collaboration follows Amazon’s approval to join Sandbox Dubai in the Gig Economy sector, an initiative endorsed by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation. Sandbox Dubai aims to create a legislative and regulatory environment that supports futuristic economic models and innovative business practices.
The pilot programme offers opportunities for individuals and small business owners to earn flexible income by providing on-foot delivery services, particularly in densely populated areas of Dubai. By utilizing idle working hours, the initiative helps businesses scale efficiently while providing gig workers with additional income streams. The programme also aligns with Dubai’s sustainability goals by reducing reliance on delivery vehicles, which is expected to ease traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions.
Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon Middle East, Africa, and Türkiye, emphasized that the partnership leverages Amazon’s global expertise, scale, and technology to boost entrepreneurship and the gig economy, while promoting economic growth through flexible work models. He highlighted that the collaboration demonstrates the potential of public-private partnerships to unlock transformative solutions that accelerate Dubai’s digital economy.
Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, noted that the programme exemplifies cooperation between the public and private sectors to develop legislation that supports innovation and to launch pilot projects that benefit society while enhancing Dubai’s economic competitiveness and future readiness.
Sandbox Dubai is a key component of Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33), which seeks to double the emirate’s economy over the next decade and strengthen its position among the world’s top three economic cities. The platform provides innovators with a realistic, safe environment to test and refine market-ready business models, products, and services. It also supports evidence-based policymaking by providing regulators with accurate data from real-world experiments, contributing to Dubai’s ambition of becoming a global innovation hub.
