E-commerce firm Noon launches grocery delivery service

E-commerce platform Noon has announced the launch of a new service to deliver groceries to customers' doorsteps.

The move, which was first mentioned last month by founder Mohamed Alabbar in an interview with CNN, said customers can now "say goodbye to the long supermarket checkout queues".

The Middle East’s homegrown online marketplace said groceries will be delivered "right to your doorstep with just a few clicks".

It added that until August 3, shoppers have the chance to get an extra 20 percent off at checkout for purchases of more than AED100.

"As a customer-focused and Arabic-first e-commerce platform, noon brings a growing product assortment thanks to connections with the local retail community. noon presents a compelling alternative retail choice through its website or dedicated iOS and Android apps," it said in a statement.

Last month, Alabbar said Noon was likely to enter the grocery delivery market "over the course of the next six months".

In an interview with CNN’s John Defterios, Alabbar said that Noon was currently working on finding a provider to help facilitate its entry into the grocery sector.

In June, Noon – which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and a group of Gulf investors – announced a new partnership with eBay that will give customers in the region the opportunity to buy products from the US and other parts of the globe.