One year after launching in Kuwait , Keeta Kuwait reflects on a year defined by a dedicated focus on the customer, deep local partnerships, and a team that learned to turn every challenge into momentum
Kuwait City, Kuwait, September, 2026: One year ago, Keeta, Meituan’s international on-demand food delivery platform, launched in Kuwait, entering a mature market shaped by established industry players, and setting out to build its presence from the ground up. Twelve months on, Keeta has grown into a bigger, stronger team, earned the trust of customers and merchants across the country, and was voted Kuwait’s No. 1 Delivery App by Service Hero.
“I still remember stepping out of the airport thinking, ‘wow, this is seriously hot’ and then going for a hotpot with the first ten of us who had just arrived,” said Max Qiu, General Manager of Keeta Kuwait. “We knew building our own place in this market was never going to be easy. A year on, I’m incredibly proud of how far this team has come, and of the foundation we’ve built for what’s next.”
Doing the basics and keep learning, over and over
Keeta’s approach to winning selection in Kuwait was, in Max’s words, is less about a secret formula than relentless consistency. Entering a market where many leading merchants had long-standing relationships with established delivery platforms, Keeta built its presence through service excellence and meaningful partnerships with major brands and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) alike.
“There’s no secret sauce in food delivery, success comes from getting the fundamentals right, consistently, ,” said Qiu. “When one of our largest partners hit a technical breakdown, our merchant operations and engineering teams fixed it in 45 minutes. The partner subsequently encouraged its social media followers to order through Keeta. We have brought the same level of commitment to supporting local SMEs. One owner invited the whole team to his home and cooked for us; a gesture that reflected the genuine relationships we have built in Kuwait.”
An almost obsessive focus on the customer
Keeta’s recognition as Kuwait’s No. 1 Delivery App by Service Hero reflected consistently strong performance across speed, value, reliability, app experience and quality, with a Net Promoter Score above 70 and a cancellation rate below 1%. Qiu attributes that to a combination of technology, relentless execution and a genuine effort to understand Kuwait.
“Great scores come from an obsessive focus on the customer – strong technology from on-time dispatch, and teams that work incredibly hard through weekends, late nights and demand peaks,” said Max. “But we also never stopped trying to understand Kuwait, being part of the local community, listening to feedback, and turning that into campaigns people genuinely enjoy, like our football voting campaign with Swish Group. When technology, operations and local insight come together, users feel the difference.”
Turning challenges into momentum
Keeta’s first year in Kuwait was not without tests. When Kuwait introduced a new commission cap for delivery platforms, Keeta moved quickly to comply, completing the necessary adjustments across thousands of merchants promptly and with no disruption to service.
“This team faced an extraordinary number of challenges in a single year,” said Qiu. “Every time, we did the same thing: stay calm, understand the facts, put in the extra effort, work across functions, and find a way to deliver. If I had to describe this team in one word, it would be resilience, and that’s something you can only build by going through hard things together.”
Beyond the order
For Max, the year’s most memorable moments went beyond transactions, like the Keeta rider who, caught in traffic behind an accident, immediately got off his bike to help. “It was a simple, human interaction, but all of us felt proud when we saw it,” he said. “That instinct to show up for people is what I hope defines us in Kuwait.”
A second home, and a second year
“Kuwait has become a second home,” said Max. “Over the past year, I have built genuine relationships with our team, business owners, users and many of the people I have met through diwaniyas, and I have felt the warmth with which Keeta has been welcomed. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Kuwait’s government authorities, local communities, customers, merchants, delivery partners and everyone across our ecosystem for their trust, collaboration and support throughout our first year.
“As we enter our second year, three principles will guide us: resilience, humility and collaboration. We will remain curious, continue challenging ourselves to innovate and make decisions grounded in first principles, always focused on creating meaningful value for the communities we serve.”
