Logistics China’s Meituan to expand drone delivery service in Dubai By Pramod Kumar June 9, 2025, 10:20 AM Ge Ziwen/VCG via Reuters Connect Meituan food delivery drones pictured in Shenzhen, China. The company began deliveries in Dubai last December Chinese company Meituan is expanding its drone delivery service in Dubai, its first overseas test market. The company will launch up to three new routes for drone deliveries in the second half of the year with the potential to add more, vice president Yinian Mao told Bloomberg News. The service will be offered on the Dubai Marina waterfront, the report said, adding it will primarily be used for high-priority emergencies or to transport medical supplies. The company started Dubai drone deliveries in December. However, the Beijing-headquartered company began developing autonomous delivery in 2016, with 53 routes established within China by the end of 2024. It has completed close to half a million deliveries. Mao said the company expects 10 to 15 percent of instant delivery orders globally will be transported by air. In February the UAE began mapping air corridors and preparing a regulatory framework to enable piloted and autonomous air taxis and cargo drones to take to the skies. The General Civil Aviation Authority and two entities from the Advanced Technology Research Council – Technology Innovation Institute and Aspire – will map out the routes and rules of operation “within the next 20 months”. In December 2024 Mohamad Charafeddine, Careem’s vice president of product for data and AI, told AGBI that drone deliveries across the Middle East are expected to grow significantly over the next decade. Drone deliveries all about speed, not profit, says Careem UAE begins mapping corridors for air taxis and cargo drones Three vertiport locations identified in Abu Dhabi Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia completed a pilot launch of drone-based medicine delivery between primary healthcare centers and hospitals in the holy sites during this year’s Hajj, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The initiative was aimed to accelerate response times and support healthcare operations by delivering medicines and medical supplies during Hajj. Mina Emergency Hospital received a drone delivery of ice packs used for treating heat exhaustion and sunstroke during Hajj. The drone-based delivery service follows a multi-phase process, with the final phase including transport scheduling and real-time tracking via a central monitoring dashboard. Register now: It’s easy and free AGBI registered members can access even more of our unique analysis and perspective on business and economics in the Middle East. Why sign uP Exclusive weekly email from our editor-in-chief Personalised weekly emails for your preferred industry sectors Read and download our insight packed white papers Access to our mobile app Prioritised access to live events Register for free Already registered? Sign in I’ll register later Register now: It’s easy and free AGBI registered members can access even more of our unique analysis and perspective on business and economics in the Middle East. Why sign uP Exclusive weekly email from our editor-in-chief Personalised weekly emails for your preferred industry sectors Read and download our insight packed white papers Access to our mobile app Prioritised access to live events Register for free Already registered? Sign in I’ll register later
