Shahbandr, a pioneering platform enabling merchants and e-commerce entrepreneurs, has unveiled its proprietary video commerce technology —transforming the online shopping experience across the MENA region. This innovation allows merchants to offer seamless and fast purchasing experiences through live video and interactive product showcases.
Online Stores
Shahbandr empowers merchants to build their online stores without needing technical expertise. It offers a full suite of tools—handling payments, delivery, website performance, and data analytics—allowing them to focus entirely on growing their business.
With this launch, Shahbandr gives online retailers the power to offer live, interactive video experiences that don’t just show off products. The new technology is developed and integrated into the infrastructure to allow merchants smoothly add it to their online stores or marketplaces. This empowers retailers to interact directly with customers in real time and boost sales. According to recent statistics, video commerce can increase store sales by up to 5x compared to traditional methods. Additionally, live video content keeps customers engaged 10x longer and generates 15x more interaction—leading to greater marketing and sales opportunities.
Visual Content
“With the rise of visual content across social platforms, today’s consumers are no longer drawn to a flat experience—they want to see, engage, and feel something to decide instantly,” said Shady Abdelshaheed, Co-Founder and CEO of Shahbandr. “Video has become the most powerful medium for building trust and triggering purchase decisions. That’s why video commerce marks a fundamental shift in product presentation and online selling. At Shahbandr, we design immersive and interactive experiences that allow merchants to make an impact before even saying a word. Our vision is to empower every merchant to lead the market—not just follow it.”
Video Commerce
While video commerce has recently emerged as a global trend in e-commerce, implementing it typically requires significant costs and technical resources—making it inaccessible for most small to mid-sized merchants and online retailers. Shahbandr aims to change that by offering video commerce as an integrated infrastructure service, Shahbandr enables all online stores and marketplaces to adopt video and live streaming features with ease.
A Game-Changer for e-Commerce in the Region
Since its launch in Saudi Arabia less than two years ago, Shahbandr has empowered over 15,000 merchants to launch and run their stores and marketplaces independently. Recognizing the global shift toward interactive e-commerce and the proven effectiveness of video commerce, Shahbandr has become the region’s first provider to offer this technology as a built-in service—unlike other platforms that rely on conventional store-building tools.
Whether someone wants to launch a basic online store or a full-fledged marketplace, Shahbandr now makes it possible to showcase products via video or interactive live streaming—giving merchants direct access to real-time consumer engagement.
This visual-first experience can speed up purchase decisions by 4x and slash return rates by threefold, as it allows shoppers to fully assess products before buying. Compared to traditional photo listings (which can sometimes be misleading), this leads to higher revenues and lower operating costs for merchants.
Regional Growth with a Merchant-First Vision
Shahbandr’s rapid expansion in the Saudi market in under two years reflects strong merchant confidence in the platform. With the launch of video commerce, the company is poised to accelerate its growth further—attracting retailers eager to capitalize on digital transformation and meet the increasing demand for interactive, rich, and seamless shopping experiences.
Operating currently in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the startup now aims to take the lead regionally as the first provider of integrated video commerce infrastructure, ushering in a new generation of visually driven, engagement-focused e-commerce.
It also plans to enhance this technology soon with AI-powered tools to enable merchants to create AI-generated videos of their products—eliminating the costs associated with traditional live videos.
