Pakistani expats in the UAE can purchase gifts for their loved ones back home through the user-friendly, ultra-app Botim. This development comes as a result of a strategic joint venture between Astra Tech, the parent company of Botim, and JW Holdings, the owner of Ruba Digital (RD), an online retail company.
The collaboration will integrate RD within Botim’s e-store, allowing users in the UAE to purchase gifts to be delivered in Pakistan through RD’s retail chain network of more than 150 outlets spanning 130 cities.
In addition to a cross-border electronic shopping experience, Pakistani expats can also take advantage of Shariah-compliant financing options of up to 12 instalments.
Digital sovereignty
Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Founder of Astra Tech and CEO of Botim, said, “Our partnership marks another step in our mission to simplify people’s everyday lives through digital sovereignty. The integration of RD into the Botim e-store enables us to make advanced solutions accessible to Pakistani expats in the UAE, making the process of purchasing and delivering items to friends and family based in Pakistan easy.”
Botim users outside of the UAE can also purchase consumer electronics from RD through the ultra-app to deliver them to Pakistan. However, Shariah-Compliant instalment financing plans are currently only available to users in the UAE.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Javed Afridi, Chief Executive Officer of JW Holdings, commented that the group was glad about this venture. “Through Botim app, Pakistani expats could easily connect with their loved ones living far beyond the borders but always nearer to their heart,” he said. “Shopping through the Botim stores while sitting in UAE, with the deliveries bound in Pakistan for their families, will be a unique and unprecedented experience for users.”
Pakistani expats, like expats from various countries worldwide, can also use BOTIM to send money to their home countries.
Astra Tech launched Botim 3.0 in May this year, which they claimed was the world’s first Ultra app. The platform aims to become an all-inclusive digital platform for its users by including fintech, e-commerce, GPT, and communications into a single user experience.