A new player has entered Saudi Arabia’s food delivery scene, and it’s making a lot of noise. Keeta, a delivery app backed by Chinese tech giant Meituan, is quickly gaining ground and shaking up the local market.
In just a few short months, Keeta has gone from being completely unknown in the Kingdom to becoming the third-largest food delivery platform in the country. The company’s rapid rise is making competitors nervous, while offering customers cheaper meals and faster service.
So, who is Keeta? How did it grow so fast? And what does this mean for the future of food delivery in Saudi Arabia? Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Keeta?
Keeta is a food delivery app launched in Saudi Arabia in September 2024. It is owned and operated by Meituan, China’s largest food delivery company. In China, Meituan serves hundreds of millions of people and dominates the market with fast service, low prices, and strong partnerships with restaurants and stores.
With Keeta, Meituan is now trying to bring that same success to the Middle East—starting with Saudi Arabia.
A Fast and Powerful Entry into Saudi Arabia
Keeta launched its services in the capital city of Riyadh, but it didn’t take long for people to notice. Within just four months of operation, Keeta grabbed about 10% of the market share in terms of food orders. That’s a huge number for such a short time, especially in a country where other platforms like HungerStation, Jahez, and The Chefz have been operating for years.
By the end of 2024, Keeta had become the third-largest food delivery service in the Kingdom, jumping ahead of more than 10 other delivery apps that have been in the market much longer.
How Did Keeta Grow So Quickly?
The answer is simple: aggressive discounts, smart marketing, and a lot of investment.
Keeta entered the Saudi market with a clear mission—to grow fast and win customers. To do that, they launched big promotions for both new and returning users. People who downloaded the app were welcomed with free delivery, meal vouchers, and deep discounts on their first few orders.
Keeta also formed partnerships with big restaurant chains like McDonald’s and KFC, offering exclusive deals you couldn’t get on other platforms. On top of that, their app design was easy to use, and deliveries were often faster than expected.
This combination made the app very attractive, especially for young customers who are used to shopping online and love getting deals.
Local Competitors Are Feeling the Pressure
Keeta’s sudden rise has made other food delivery platforms nervous. Until recently, HungerStation and Jahez were leading the Saudi market with little serious competition. But Keeta has changed the game.
To keep up, these local companies are now offering more promotions, improving their app experiences, and expanding their restaurant options. Some smaller delivery apps, however, are already struggling to survive. When a large, well-funded player like Keeta enters the market, it becomes harder for smaller businesses to compete on price and speed.
Even the restaurants are feeling the change. Some have started offering better deals on Keeta than on other apps, hoping to take advantage of the growing customer base there.
Massive Investment and Expansion Plans
Keeta isn’t just experimenting. They’re serious. The company has committed to investing 1 billion Saudi riyals (about $267 million) in the country. This money will go toward improving operations, expanding to more cities, and creating thousands of jobs for Saudis.
After launching in Riyadh, Keeta expanded to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city. There are also reports that it plans to launch in other major cities like Dammam, Khobar, and Makkah in the near future.
The investment also includes building better delivery infrastructure, such as warehouses and rider support centers, which will help make service even faster and more reliable.
Why Is Saudi Arabia an Important Market?
Saudi Arabia has a young, tech-savvy population that spends a lot of time online—and a lot of money on food delivery. With more people using smartphones and digital wallets, the demand for fast, affordable delivery is only going up.
Also, Saudi Vision 2030—the government’s plan to diversify the economy and reduce its dependence on oil—has created a strong push for digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and international investment. That’s why more global companies, including those from China, are seeing Saudi Arabia as a land of opportunity.
By entering the market now, Keeta is getting in early and securing a strong position before others follow.
Challenges Ahead for Keeta
Even though Keeta has had early success, the road ahead won’t be easy. Building trust with local users, managing operations across different cities, and competing with brands that already have loyal customer bases will all be big challenges.
There are also cultural and regulatory differences to deal with. Saudi Arabia has unique social norms and government rules that Keeta must respect as it grows. Hiring and training local talent, dealing with food safety standards, and offering Arabic-language customer service will all be important for long-term success.
Another challenge is sustainability. Deep discounts and free deliveries can win customers in the short term, but they’re expensive to maintain. Keeta will eventually have to figure out how to balance low prices with profitability.
What Does the Future Hold?
If Keeta keeps growing at this pace, it could become the number one delivery app in Saudi Arabia within the next couple of years. But that depends on how well it can maintain its service quality and handle increasing competition.
There’s also the possibility of regional expansion. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait—share similar demographics and market conditions. If Keeta succeeds in Saudi Arabia, these countries could be next on its list.
For now, though, all eyes are on Saudi Arabia.
Final Thoughts
Keeta’s fast and aggressive entry into Saudi Arabia’s food delivery market shows how quickly things can change in today’s digital economy. Backed by one of China’s most powerful tech companies, Keeta is using deep pockets, smart strategy, and bold promotions to win customers—and it’s working.
For consumers, that means more choices, better deals, and faster service. For local competitors, it’s a wake-up call that the market is no longer theirs alone.
The food delivery war in Saudi Arabia is just getting started—and Keeta is leading the charge.
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