Company Insights Talabat Food & Drink Talabat Overview Talabat, an online food ordering and delivery company founded in Kuwait in 2004, is a leading platform in the Mena region. It operates across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. Since its acquisition by the German company Delivery Hero in 2015, Talabat has grown into a regional leader, offering food, groceries and retail delivery services. Talabat has more than 6 million active customers, 65,000 partners and 119,000 riders. It offers over 56,000 restaurants and 9,500 local shops on its platform. In 2010 it rebranded from 6alabat.com to Talabat.com and in 2020 it bought the Egyptian food delivery service Otlob. Talabat has concentrated on expanding its position in its key areas, leveraging urbanisation, a young population and rising online activity. In December 2024 Talabat listed on the Dubai Financial Market, raising $2 billion in an IPO, which was increased from 15 percent to 20 percent following strong investor demand. Talabat News Food & Drink UK company enters Dubai’s crowded rapid-delivery market Despite the congestion – in the market and on the streets of the UAE’s most populous city – yet another competitor, UK company Zapp, is entering Dubai’s rapid-delivery market. This is evidence there is still room for growth, analysts say. Zapp focuses on rapid grocery deliveries from its own so-called dark stores. A dark store is […] April 15, 2025 Retail Dubai Holding-backed retailer Azadea puts IPO on hold Azadea Group, which is backed by an investment company owned by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has put its initial public offering on the back burner, it has been reported. Dubai Holding acquired a minority stake in the Beirut-based retailer in 2018, valued at $1 billion. The IPO pause is not down to […] April 15, 2025 Finance Dubai’s ICD could tap IPO market to fund expansion The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the emirate’s government, could potentially turn to the capital markets with a raft of listings over the next year or so, according to analysts. Established in 2006, ICD is worth about $340 billion and already has one of its crown jewels – Emirates NBD, […] April 7, 2025 Opinion Food & Drink Ramadan’s impact on Gulf consumer trends, from dates to digital deals To thrive, food and beverage companies must adapt strategies to meet customers needs March 26, 2025 Analysis Markets Foreign investors still underweight on Gulf stocks International investors have pumped more than $60 billion into Gulf stocks over the past five years but their share of ownership is still relatively low, putting into question the success of GCC states’ economic diversification policies. Governments in the world’s largest oil-producing region have long sought to increase foreign direct investment into their economies and […] March 21, 2025 Analysis Finance Growth-stage investment heats up as Gulf IPOs gain traction Global investors are increasingly vying for stakes in later-stage Gulf startups, betting on the region’s economic expansion and stronger exit opportunities, as the regional IPO markets gain momentum. The region, long overlooked for growth-stage capital – minority investments in established companies aimed at accelerating expansion – is witnessing a surge of interest from giants such […] March 13, 2025 Markets More dual listings expected as IPO trend continues Last year, eight companies launched initial public offerings (IPO) on the two main stock exchanges in the UAE, attracting more than $7 billion in investment. The same number could float this year and list in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, analysts say. UAE-based technology company Alpha Data has already announced plans to list 40 percent of its […] February 20, 2025 Markets Delivery Hero to use Talabat IPO earnings to clear bonds Delivery Hero is to buy back about €1 billion ($1 billion) in bonds using proceeds from last year’s Talabat IPO on the Dubai Financial Market. The Berlin-based food delivery company, which bought Talabat in 2015, said it will pay off its convertible bonds due in 2025 and 2026 and up to €350 million for 2027 […] February 13, 2025 Markets DFM earnings rise 14% on robust trading volume Dubai Financial Market Company, the operator of the Dubai stock exchange, has announced a net profit increase of 14 percent year on year for 2024. The result was driven by robust trading volumes from retail and institutional investors and strong capital inflows, it said. The bottom line stood at AED376.4 million ($102.5 million) last year […] January 31, 2025 Opinion Markets UAE capital markets are well placed for a stellar year Investor confidence and strong GDP growth point to a good 2025 January 14, 2025 Posts navigation 1 2 … 5 Next
Food & Drink UK company enters Dubai’s crowded rapid-delivery market Despite the congestion – in the market and on the streets of the UAE’s most populous city – yet another competitor, UK company Zapp, is entering Dubai’s rapid-delivery market. This is evidence there is still room for growth, analysts say. Zapp focuses on rapid grocery deliveries from its own so-called dark stores. A dark store is […] April 15, 2025
Retail Dubai Holding-backed retailer Azadea puts IPO on hold Azadea Group, which is backed by an investment company owned by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has put its initial public offering on the back burner, it has been reported. Dubai Holding acquired a minority stake in the Beirut-based retailer in 2018, valued at $1 billion. The IPO pause is not down to […] April 15, 2025
Finance Dubai’s ICD could tap IPO market to fund expansion The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the emirate’s government, could potentially turn to the capital markets with a raft of listings over the next year or so, according to analysts. Established in 2006, ICD is worth about $340 billion and already has one of its crown jewels – Emirates NBD, […] April 7, 2025
Opinion Food & Drink Ramadan’s impact on Gulf consumer trends, from dates to digital deals To thrive, food and beverage companies must adapt strategies to meet customers needs March 26, 2025
Analysis Markets Foreign investors still underweight on Gulf stocks International investors have pumped more than $60 billion into Gulf stocks over the past five years but their share of ownership is still relatively low, putting into question the success of GCC states’ economic diversification policies. Governments in the world’s largest oil-producing region have long sought to increase foreign direct investment into their economies and […] March 21, 2025
Analysis Finance Growth-stage investment heats up as Gulf IPOs gain traction Global investors are increasingly vying for stakes in later-stage Gulf startups, betting on the region’s economic expansion and stronger exit opportunities, as the regional IPO markets gain momentum. The region, long overlooked for growth-stage capital – minority investments in established companies aimed at accelerating expansion – is witnessing a surge of interest from giants such […] March 13, 2025
Markets More dual listings expected as IPO trend continues Last year, eight companies launched initial public offerings (IPO) on the two main stock exchanges in the UAE, attracting more than $7 billion in investment. The same number could float this year and list in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, analysts say. UAE-based technology company Alpha Data has already announced plans to list 40 percent of its […] February 20, 2025
Markets Delivery Hero to use Talabat IPO earnings to clear bonds Delivery Hero is to buy back about €1 billion ($1 billion) in bonds using proceeds from last year’s Talabat IPO on the Dubai Financial Market. The Berlin-based food delivery company, which bought Talabat in 2015, said it will pay off its convertible bonds due in 2025 and 2026 and up to €350 million for 2027 […] February 13, 2025
Markets DFM earnings rise 14% on robust trading volume Dubai Financial Market Company, the operator of the Dubai stock exchange, has announced a net profit increase of 14 percent year on year for 2024. The result was driven by robust trading volumes from retail and institutional investors and strong capital inflows, it said. The bottom line stood at AED376.4 million ($102.5 million) last year […] January 31, 2025
Opinion Markets UAE capital markets are well placed for a stellar year Investor confidence and strong GDP growth point to a good 2025 January 14, 2025