Meituan "rolls out" in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh may see a "Battle of a Hundred Groups" | Titanium Media's "Overseas Reference" Observation

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)