--- title: "Meituan \"rolls out\" in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh may see a \"Battle of a Hundred Groups\" | Titanium Media's \"Overseas Reference\" Observation" description: "Meituan's food delivery platform Keeta officially launched in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 9th, marking its third city operation overseas. Keeta introduced a promotion of 50% off for the first orde" type: "news" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/216643577.md" published_at: "2024-10-12T14:25:19.000Z" --- # Meituan "rolls out" in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh may see a "Battle of a Hundred Groups" | Titanium Media's "Overseas Reference" Observation > Meituan's food delivery platform Keeta officially launched in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 9th, marking its third city operation overseas. Keeta introduced a promotion of 50% off for the first order and free delivery to attract local consumers. The platform also promises on-time delivery and has a policy for compensation in case of delays, aiming to meet the unique needs of the Saudi market and support Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" plan ### On October 9th local time, Meituan's overseas version Keeta officially launched and operated in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. This is Keeta's third city overseas after Hong Kong, China and Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. It is understood that the head of Meituan's overseas business (Keeta project), Qiu Guangyu, has relocated from Hong Kong to Riyadh, and several Meituan domestic employees have also been transferred to Riyadh through the "Living Water Plan" to expand local business on the front line. After launching in Riyadh, Qiu Guangyu publicly stated, "We are very excited to invest in this vibrant market, providing convenient and diverse takeaway services to meet the unique needs of Saudi consumers and support the 'Vision 2030' plan." ### Meituan Riyadh's "Suicidal" Customer Acquisition Strategy With the Chinese internet genes, Keeta has introduced a policy of 50% off the entire first order and free delivery since its launch. This undoubtedly has a huge appeal to local consumers, especially the free delivery policy. Several Chinese people working locally told Titanium Media "Overseas Reference" that delivery fees are the last hurdle for them to order takeout. Every time they see a delivery fee of 20-30 SAR (Saudi Riyal), they hesitate with a heartache. 20-30 SAR is equivalent to RMB 40-60, and the delivery fee alone is almost as high as the meal cost. "The delivery fee in Saudi Arabia is too high. Such high delivery fees feel like forcing people to subscribe to memberships. If you have a membership, many will waive the delivery fee." Mu Mu, who works in Riyadh, basically orders takeout to save lunch time. After weighing the options, he chose to open a membership on the food delivery platform. Mu Mu said, "I used to use Hunger Station and Noon. Now that Keeta offers free delivery, of course, I will consider using it." In addition to free delivery, Keeta has also introduced a "Promise of On-Time Delivery" and corresponding compensation policies for delays. According to the platform information, if the delivery is delayed by 15 to 30 minutes, a 10 SAR consumption voucher will be given; if delayed by 30 to 45 minutes, a 20 SAR consumption voucher will be given; if delayed by 45 to 60 minutes, a 30 SAR consumption voucher will be given; if delayed by 1 hour or more, a 50 SAR consumption voucher will be given. Such policies have surprised Li Li, who lives in Riyadh, "When I first heard about the compensation news, I felt that Meituan (Keeta) was simply committing suicide." Late deliveries are very common in Saudi Arabia. Mu Mu helplessly said, "Many delivery riders in Saudi Arabia are foreign laborers from the Indian and Pakistani regions. They may know some Arabic but very few know English. When the rider cannot find the address, it takes a lot of time to communicate about the location and floor, etc." Based on Mu Mu's years of ordering experience, it is not difficult to see that Keeta may face a large amount of compensation payouts for delays ### Keeta or "Riyadh Battle of the Hundred Regiments" Every overseas Chinese worker hopes to enjoy a delicious Chinese meal after a hard day's work. However, it is often difficult to find the desired meal on most platforms, including Keeta. LiLi originally wanted to try Keeta, but found that the restaurant she wanted to order from was not available on Keeta. So, she had to choose to order the spicy hot pot she wanted from Gokoo, an online platform focusing on overseas Chinese dining. Despite Keeta's promotional delivery policies, the limited product selection and single-item offerings may still be a pain point for current food delivery platforms in Saudi Arabia. MuMu mentioned that the food options on the food delivery platforms he has used in Saudi Arabia are relatively limited. Xiao Jia, a Chinese entrepreneur running a restaurant in Saudi Arabia, told Titanium Media "Chuhai Reference" that she has currently only listed on Gokoo and has not listed on Keeta. In addition to Gokoo, Keeta will also have to compete with more local-oriented and experienced food delivery platforms in Saudi Arabia, such as Hunger Station, Jahez, Talabat, Noon, and others. According to incomplete statistics from Titanium Media "Chuhai Reference," there are more than 50 food delivery platforms currently operating in Saudi Arabia (including fast-food chains such as McDonald's, KFC, Domino's Pizza, etc., providing delivery services). This situation is reminiscent of the "Battle of the Hundred Regiments" in the era of group buying in China. Upon entering Saudi Arabia, Meituan Keeta publicly stated that it would invest $266 million (approximately 1 billion riyals) to support its business growth in Saudi Arabia. The official launch of Keeta seems to herald a new "Battle of the Hundred Regiments" in the food delivery sector in Saudi Arabia. According to Similarweb statistics on October 8th, HungerStation, Ninja, and Jahez continue to rank among the top four food delivery platforms in terms of usage by Android and iOS users in Saudi Arabia. Currently, Keeta ranks 30th among Android users and 13th among iOS users. Public data indicates that the user penetration rate in the Saudi food delivery market has reached 44.2%, and by 2030, the market size of the Saudi food delivery industry is expected to grow to $13.5 billion, close to 100 billion RMB. In this growing market, can Keeta grab a share from these established food delivery companies? Chinese entrepreneurs going global have given their affirmative answer. Xiao Jia told us, "Chinese brands, including Chinese software, are very popular in Saudi Arabia, as they are more comprehensive and easier to use than local software." On the day Meituan was launched, LiLi posted on her Moments, "The moment to witness the history of the Saudi food delivery industry has arrived! Stay tuned!" (The names LiLi, MuMu, and Xiao Jia are pseudonyms) (This article was first published on the Titanium Media APP, Author | Wang Lu) ### Related Stocks - [83690.HK - MEITUAN-WR](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/83690.HK.md) - [MPNGY.US - Meituan](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MPNGY.US.md) - [03690.HK - MEITUAN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/03690.HK.md) ## Related News & Research | Title | Description | URL | |-------|-------------|-----| | 美团：本集团预期 2025 年度录得亏损约人民币 233 亿元至人民币 243 亿元 | 美团预计 2025 年度将录得亏损约人民币 233 亿元至 243 亿元，而 2024 年度则录得溢利约 358.08 亿元。预期亏损主要源于核心本地商业分部的经营溢利从 2024 年的约 524.15 亿元转为 2025 年的约 68 亿 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275897016.md) | | 市场监管总局约谈阿里巴巴、抖音、百度、腾讯、京东、美团、淘宝闪购等平台企业 | 市场监管总局于 2 月 13 日约谈了阿里巴巴、抖音、百度、腾讯、京东、美团和淘宝闪购等平台企业，要求它们遵守相关法律法规，落实主体责任，规范促销行为，并杜绝 “内卷式” 竞争，以维护公平竞争市场环境，促进平台经济的创新与健康发展。 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275975190.md) | | 学习英伟达刺激芯片销售，AMD 为 “AI 云” 借款做担保 | AMD 为扩大市场份额祭出金融 “狠招”！为初创公司 Crusoe 的 3 亿美元购芯贷款提供担保，承诺在其无客户时 “兜底” 租用芯片。这一复刻英伟达 “租卡云” 路径的策略虽能短期推高销量，但也令 AMD 在 AI 需求放缓时面临更大的 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276401504.md) | | 特朗普暗示违法征收的关税不退了，美财长称今年关税收入将 “基本保持不变” | 美国总统特朗普暗示不会退还被最高法院裁定违法的关税，预计 2026 年关税收入将保持不变。特朗普计划签署行政令，对全球商品加征 10% 进口关税，取代被推翻的关税。财长贝森特表示，政府将利用替代法律权力维持关税收入，强调国家安全和财政收入不 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276494362.md) | | 最高法裁决后特朗普动用替补选择：加征 10% 全球关税 | 美国总统特朗普在最高法院裁决后宣布将加征 10% 的全球关税，以补救被推翻的关税措施。根据《1974 年贸易法》第 122 条款，现有的关税将全面生效。最高法院裁定特朗普政府的部分关税措施缺乏法律授权。市场风险提示，投资需谨慎。 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276477629.md) | --- > **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.