AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Amazon ( AMZN ) plans to invest 1.4 billion euros ($1.63 billion) in the Netherlands over the next three years, the company said on Monday.

The investment is its largest in the euro zone's fifth biggest economy since it launched its activities there in 2020, the company said.

Amazon ( AMZN ) has around 1,000 employees in the Netherlands, where its online sales trail those of market leader Bol.com, a subsidiary of retail firm Ahold Delhaize.

"The Netherlands is an important growth market for us," Amazon's ( AMZN ) head for Belgium and the Netherlands Eva Faict said.

"These investments will allow us to better serve our customers and improve our services."

In an interview with Dutch financial daily FD published on Monday, Faict said the investments were partly aimed at the development of artificial intelligence for entrepreneurs who sell their products on Amazon's ( AMZN ) platform.

Earlier this month, she announced a $1.16 billion investment in Amazon's ( AMZN ) Belgian operations.

($1 = 0.8575 euros)