Groupon, a leading deal-of-the-day website, has announced its UAE foray with the launch of live deals to customers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Groupon, launched in November 2008 at Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in more than 500 markets in 43 countries around the world, said a company statement.

Since its launch, Groupon has led a worldwide movement in e-commerce, using the principles of collective buying to bring millions of dollars in new revenue to local businesses while saving more than $1.8 billion for subscribers, it added.

Operating under www.groupon.ae, Groupon UAE will first serve Dubai and Abu Dhabi with live deals starting from today (Tuesday) and later expand to the other cities, said said a top official.

Rob Solomon, president and chief operating officer, said 'Groupon's expansion to UAE is another step in our development as a global Internet brand.'

According to Solomon, Groupon uses collective buying power to offer unbeatable prices and provide a win-win for businesses and consumers, delivering more than 650 daily deals globally.

“Groupon UAE will change the face of the local collective buying market, leveraging the best practices Groupon has pioneered in more than 40 countries around the globe,' he remarked.

On the UAE foray, Faisal Haq, managing director of Groupon UAE, said, 'The UAE represents another incredible opportunity for Groupon and a huge win for both consumers and local UAE businesses.'

“We are thrilled to be able to deliver the benefits of Groupon to such a diverse and vibrant region of the world,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service