Meituan Plans to Launch Food Delivery Platform KeeTa in the Middle East

According to recent reports, Meituan is planning to introduce its international food delivery platform KeeTa in the Middle East, with Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, set to be the initial launch location, potentially within the coming months. This marks Meituan‘s first venture outside the Greater China region amid a slowdown in its domestic market growth.

Sources familiar with the matter have disclosed that Meituan is actively working on the launch of its KeeTa application in the Middle East, with Riyadh identified as the first destination. Requesting anonymity due to discussions involving private information, one insider mentioned that Meituan has been exploring entry into the Middle Eastern market for several months. Another source indicated that the product could potentially be rolled out within the next few months.

Previously, insider reports suggested that from October 2022 to mid-2023, Meituan‘s Head of Strategic Investments Overseas, Zhu Wenqian, had made multiple visits to the Middle East region. Apart from understanding local business policies, the primary focus was on researching the competitive landscape of the local food delivery sector. If these reports are accurate, Meituan will enter into competition with local rivals in Riyadh, including Jahez International, Talabat from Delivery Hero, HungerStation, and Careem backed by Uber.

Meituan launched its new food delivery brand KeeTa in Hong Kong in May last year. Starting from the Mong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui areas, the service gradually expanded to cover Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and the New Territories. As of October 25th of the same year, KeeTa’s services achieved full coverage across Hong Kong.

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