Uber Eats to launch in Egypt and Saudi Arabia this year

Global food delivery app Uber Eats will launch in Cairo and Riyadh this year, the ride-hailing company Uber announced in an e-mailed press release on Monday. The statement did not specify the value of investments Uber will inject into this expansion. The service allows restaurants to promote their menu and deliver food via already dispatched Uber drivers in an average of 15 minutes. Customers and restaurants alike can track the order from the app, according to Uber Eats' website. "From local restaurants to national chains, the Uber Eats app is helping support the growth of business big and small by providing them with the technology to adapt and thrive in the growing food delivery market," the press release read. Uber is responding to the growth in demand for food delivery services in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. "The expansion comes on the back of Uber Eats' success in the UAE, where orders grew by 169% in the 2nd semester of 2017 only, and the number of restaurants opening their doors on the app increased twofold, to more than a thousand active today," the press release said. Uber Eats partners with over 80,000 restaurants in over 200 cities in more than 30 countries. "While we’re a global business with a presence in more than 30 countries around the world, our recipe for success is built on catering to the local taste of the cities we operate in. That’s why we’re doubling down on creating a localised version of the app that meets the needs of the Arabic speaking population," said Nic Robertson, the General Manager of Uber Eats Middle East and Africa. Uber Eats allows restaurants to apply to join the food delivery service online.