Amazon launches Saudi Arabia shopping site despite CEO’s dispute with kingdom

Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday launched a website for shoppers in Saudi Arabia, showing its continued business interests there despite a public dispute between Riyadh and the company’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos.

The website is a re-branding for Saudi customers of Souq.com, a Middle East e-commerce platform that Amazon acquired in 2017. Shoppers’ account information with Souq automatically transferred to the new address, amazon.sa, Amazon said on the site. The company similarly converted Souq’s website in the United Arab Emirates to a re-branded portal, amazon.ae, last year.

The news indicates that a conflict involving Bezos and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not derailed Amazon’s investment plans for the kingdom.