Tourism & Hospitality | Tuesday 23 January, 2018 9:02 am |

Four years after making safe, reliable and affordable rides available at the touch of a button, Uber today announced its continued investment in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with the forthcoming launch of Uber Eats in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

 

The global food delivery app - that makes getting great food as simple as requesting a ride - will add Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Cairo, Egypt, to its menu of more than 200 cities around the world later this year. The expansion comes on the back of Uber Eats’ success in the UAE, where orders grew by 169% in the 2nd semester of 2017 only, and the number of restaurants opening their doors on the app increased twofold, to more than a thousand active today.

 

“We know that people in Saudi Arabia and Egypt have been calling out for technology to get the food they love delivered for all occasions in any locations for some time now. We’re thrilled to be answering this demand by partnering with national and local restaurants to bring the convenience of the Uber Eats app to more people in the region,” said Nic Robertson, General Manager, Uber Eats Middle East and Africa.

 

Uber Eats will become the first international food delivery business to launch in both countries, with a locally-designed app specifically created for Arabic speaking consumers.

 

“While we’re a global business with a presence in more than 30 countries around the world, our recipe for success is built on catering to the local taste of the cities we operate in. That’s why we’re doubling down on creating a localised version of the app that meets the needs of the Arabic speaking population” continued Mr Robertson.

 

Since launching a little over two years ago, Uber Eats has transformed the perception of food delivery by making a wide selection of food options conveniently available in one place and delivered fast and fresh, with the reliability people have come to expect from Uber.

 

With demand for food delivery services in Saudi Arabia and Egypt continuing to soar, the MENA region is set to become an increasingly important part of Uber Eats global business.

 

Supporting the world’s local economies

Today Uber Eats partners with more than 80,000 restaurants across 200 cities in 30 plus countries.  From local restaurants to national chains, the Uber Eats app is helping support the growth of business big and small by providing them with the technology to adapt and thrive in the growing food delivery market.

 

Likewise, tens of thousands of local residents are benefiting from access to flexible work and the opportunity to earn some extra cash to supplement their income by delivering food using a bike, scooter, car or even their own two feet.

 

In Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Uber Eats hopes to partner with thousands of local restaurants and create hundreds of work opportunities for the local population.

 

“We have already seen huge demand from hundreds of local restaurants who want to work with us to make their food available to more people by opening their virtual doors on Uber Eats. We encourage any restaurant owners who want to know more about partnering with Uber Eats to get in touch,” - said Mr Robertson.