Talabat Announces Intention to Expand into Iraq in 2021

Regional delivery app, Talabat, has announced that it will begin operation in the capital of the Kurdistan Region in North Iraq, Erbil, at the beginning of 2021, before moving into Federal Iraq later into the year.

Already operating in its native Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Jordan, as well as in Egypt where another of German company Delivery Hero’s portfolio, Otlob, was rebranded in-line with the rest of the Middle East earlier this year.

Beyond the expansion of Talabat’s services, the move also further signals the growing belief that the Iraqi market is full of untapped potential and opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

“The Iraqi market has massive potential and Talabat can help unlock that potential to get the country back on its feet after many years of turmoil when it comes to technology and digitisation of SMEs in the restaurant community,” CEO of Talabat, Tomaso Rodriguez, said, also adding that, like so many countries in the region, Iraq’s rich culinary heritage demands that Talabat operate there. “We’re excited to enable that rich culinary heritage to be shared to the broader community by further developing the online delivery experience for customers, and partnering with local restaurants to fuel their growth through our platform, as well as creating employment opportunities for local talent across our operations.”