Chinese food-delivery giant Meituan to debut in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh as international expansion quickens

Meituan is said to be working to launch its KeeTa app in the Middle East, with Riyadh as the first stop

The firm’s Middle Eastern approach is likely to rely on a familiar subsidy-heavy strategy to draw in users and delivery workers at the outset

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Meituan is likely to roll out its Keeta food-delivery platform in phases, initially targeting certain districts in Riyadh. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:34pm, 26 Apr 2024

Chinese on-demand local services giant Meituan plans to launch its international food-delivery platform in Saudi Arabia’s capital, marking the company’s first overseas expansion amid slowing growth in its home market.

Beijing-based Meituan is working to debut its KeeTa app in the Middle East with Riyadh as the first stop, according to people familiar with the matter. Meituan has explored an expansion into the Middle East for months, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. That launch could come as early as in coming months, one of the people said.

Meituan’s global expansion is emblematic of a push by Chinese companies abroad, seeking growth as local competition intensifies even while consumption wanes. The move into Riyadh, one of the wealthiest cities in the region, follows a successful Hong Kong foray in 2023.

The company’s foray into Riyadh will pit Meituan against local rivals including Jahez International Co, Delivery Hero’s Talabat and HungerStation and Uber Technologies-backed Careem. The move comes as Saudi Arabia, already the region’s biggest economy, devises plans to invest trillions of dollars to become a tourism and commercial hub.

The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. Photo: Shutterstock

A Riyadh debut could mark a broader foray into a friendlier region that Chinese companies have warmed towards, as their home economy buckles.

Chinese food-delivery giant Meituan to debut in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh as international expansion quickens

Meituan is said to be working to launch its KeeTa app in the Middle East, with Riyadh as the first stop The firm’s Middle Eastern approach is likely to rely on a familiar subsidy-heavy strategy to draw in users and delivery workers at the outset

Meituan is said to be working to launch its KeeTa app in the Middle East, with Riyadh as the first stop

The firm’s Middle Eastern approach is likely to rely on a familiar subsidy-heavy strategy to draw in users and delivery workers at the outset