Meituan Food Delivery App Keeta Expands to UAE and Middle East

Chinese delivery giant Meituan has launched its international brand, Keeta, in Dubai, marking the platform’s entry into the United Arab Emirates and its third new Middle Eastern market in just 40 days [2]. The expansion signals an aggressive push by the Beijing-based firm to replicate its domestic logistics scale in the Gulf, following recent rollouts in Qatar and Kuwait [3].

Scaling the Gulf footprint

The UAE launch follows Keeta’s entry into Saudi Arabia in September 2024, where the platform captured 10% of the food delivery market by order volume within four months of its debut [5]. By leveraging a model of heavy discounting and aggressive pricing, Keeta has challenged established local players such as HungerStation and Jahez, moving past more than 10 smaller competitors to become the third-largest platform in the Saudi market [5].

Keeta’s entry into Dubai, the UAE’s largest city, is designed to capitalize on high consumption demand and advanced infrastructure [2]. The company is currently operating a "Founding Vendor Program" in the Dubai Silicon Oasis area to secure restaurant and retail partners before a full-scale rollout [3]. Meituan has also confirmed that preparations are underway to extend operations to Abu Dhabi [4].

Technology and competitive dynamics

A core component of Keeta’s strategy is the integration of proprietary logistics technology, including unmanned aerial delivery [3]. In Dubai, the company secured the UAE’s first commercial Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) drone delivery license from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority [3]. The service is already conducting regular routes for food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, positioning the firm as a tech-first disruptor in a landscape dominated by incumbents like Talabat, Deliveroo, and Careem [2].

While Keeta’s rapid growth in Saudi Arabia has been driven by reliable logistics and competitive pricing, the company faces the challenge of managing margins in a market where it is currently sacrificing profitability for market share [3]. Analysts note that the platform’s ability to sustain this "price-disruption playbook" will be the primary factor in determining whether it can successfully displace entrenched regional giants [5].

What to watch

• Market Share Shifts: Monitor whether Keeta’s aggressive discounting in the UAE mirrors its 10% market share capture in Saudi Arabia, specifically regarding its impact on incumbents like Talabat and Deliveroo [3, 5].
• Drone Regulatory Milestones: Watch for the expansion of Keeta’s BVLOS drone routes beyond the initial Dubai test zones, as regulatory compliance remains a significant hurdle for scaling automated logistics [3].
• Regional Pipeline: Keep track of planned entries into additional North African and Middle Eastern markets, including Bahrain and Jordan, which remain in the company's expansion pipeline [1].

The success of Keeta’s Middle East push hinges on its ability to transition from a subsidized growth phase to a sustainable, profitable model while navigating intense local competition. Whether the platform can maintain its current pace of expansion into 2025 remains the central question for the region's delivery sector.