Kita celebrates its first year in Kuwait - Sarmad

Keta, Meituan’s international on-demand food delivery technology platform, is celebrating its first anniversary in Kuwait, entering a mature market characterized by a sophisticated delivery ecosystem and high customer expectations, and beginning its journey to build its presence from scratch. Today, after twelve months, the Keta team continues to grow and strengthen its capabilities, having successfully won the trust of customers and partners, including restaurants and merchants across Kuwait, and having been chosen by consumers as the number one delivery app in Kuwait in the ServiceHero index.

Speaking on the occasion, Max Chew, General Manager of Keta in Kuwait, said: “I still remember the day our ten-person team arrived in Kuwait, greeted by the hot weather, before we gathered around a hot pot meal that marked the beginning of our journey together. From that day on, we knew the road ahead would not be easy, and that entering a strong and competitive market like Kuwait would require significant effort and commitment. After one year, I feel great pride in what our team has achieved and what we have accomplished together in preparation for the next phase.”

Focusing on Fundamentals and Continuous Learning

Max believes that Keta’s success in winning customer trust and being chosen in Kuwait did not rely on a secret recipe, but rather on a consistent commitment to delivering an exceptional experience. In a market where many prominent restaurants and merchants have long-standing relationships with established delivery platforms, Keta has built its presence by excelling in service quality and developing effective partnerships with both major brands and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Max added: “There is no secret recipe for success in the food delivery sector; success begins with mastering the fundamentals and maintaining a consistent level of performance. When one of our largest partners experienced a technical glitch, our restaurant and merchant operations and engineering teams resolved the issue within 45 minutes, prompting the partner to encourage their social media followers to order via Keta. We ensured we provided the same level of support to small and medium-sized local businesses. One such business owner even invited our entire team to his home and prepared food for us, a gesture that reflects the relationships we have built in Kuwait.”

Customers at the Core of Keta’s Focus

Keta’s selection as the number one delivery app in Kuwait by ServiceHero resulted from its strong performance in delivery speed, value, reliability, app user experience, and service quality. Its net promoter score exceeded 70 points, while the order cancellation rate remained below 1%. Max believes these results reflect the strength of Keta’s underlying technology, the efficiency of its teams, and its dedication to understanding the Kuwaiti market and customer needs.

Max continued: “We achieved these results thanks to our continuous focus on customers, our reliance on technologies that ensure orders are dispatched for delivery on time, and the efforts of our teams. We also prioritized understanding the Kuwaiti market, engaging with the local community, listening to customer feedback, and leveraging it to develop campaigns that resonate with them, such as the football voting campaign in collaboration with Switch Group. When technology supports operational efficiency and a deep understanding of local market needs, customers feel the distinct quality of the service they receive.”

Turning Challenges into Opportunities for Progress

Keta’s first year in Kuwait witnessed key milestones that contributed to enhancing its experience and strengthening its market presence. When Kuwait implemented a new cap on commissions charged by delivery platforms, Keta swiftly complied with the decision, implementing the required adjustments across thousands of restaurants and merchants without any service interruption.

Max said, “Our team faced a significant number of challenges over the past year. In every instance, we remained calm, understood the data, put in extra effort, and our teams collaborated to find solutions. If I were asked to describe this team in a single word, I would say resilience; it is forged only when we face difficulties and overcome them together.”

More than just delivering orders

Max believes that the first year brought many memorable moments for Kitas in Kuwait. Among them was an incident involving one of Kitas’ delivery agents who found himself stuck in traffic behind an accident scene; he promptly dismounted his bicycle and offered assistance. Describing this incident, Max said, “It was a simple human gesture, but we all felt proud when we saw it. This initiative to help others is the spirit I hope will define Kitas in Kuwait.”

Kuwait as a second home and a launchpad into our second year

Max added, “Kuwait has become a second home to me personally. Over the past year, I built strong relationships with our team, business partners, customers, and many individuals I met in diwaniyas, and I witnessed the warm welcome Kitas received. I extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Kuwaiti government authorities, local communities, customers, restaurants, merchants, the delivery team, and all our partners for their trust, cooperation, and support throughout our first year.”

“As we enter our second year, we will continue to operate based on three core principles: flexibility, humility, and collaboration. We will keep learning and exploring new opportunities, constantly challenging ourselves to innovate and make decisions grounded in these core principles, while maintaining our unwavering focus on delivering real value to the communities we serve.”