Dubai-based e-commerce platform Noon is launching in Egypt in the first half of 2019. Citing unnamed sources with direct knowledge about Noon’s expansion roadmap, MENAbytes reports that Noon is already hiring employees for the forthcoming Egyptian unit’s accounts, marketing, HR, and logistics divisions. Egypt being one of MENA’s most lucrative markets, Noon wants to debut with a bang, which is why the company is reportedly in talks with several big vendors to add their products to its platform. With a population of nearly 100 million, Egypt is an important destination for all Middle Eastern e-commerce startups eying to establish regional dominance. The country’s e-commerce market is still quite nascent and leaves more than enough room for growth for new entrants -- especially considering the fact that while a large chunk of the population is today online, only a tiny number of them shop online. Declining to comment on its rumored expansion to Egypt, a Noon spokesperson stated: “Since launching operations in the KSA in December 2017, noon has been warmly received by our customers in Saudi Arabia and UAE. As a young local business, Noon remains absolutely focused on putting our customers at the center of our strategy, we strive to bring competitive prices, a wide assortment of products and great service to people in our markets.”