UAE Last-Mile Delivery Startup FODEL Expands into Four New GCC Markets

Capitalising on a network of over 2,000 merchants across the GCC, UAE-based last-mile delivery specialist, FODEL, has announced that it is expanding its operations to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman - the first step of plans to establish a base across all GCC markets.

Founded in 2017 by Soumia Benturquia (pictured in main image), the move feeds into the startup’s aim of redinfining last-mile delivery by offering users more control and flexibility on e-commerce orders. FODEL’s unique position in the market is furthered by the fact that it is the only last-mile delivery specialist in MENA to apply the  globally popular PUDO (pick-up and drop-off) model through a network of pick-up locations.

For Benturquia, the expansion is very much a case of striking while the iron is hot, as e-commerce becomes less of a luxury and more of a necessity in MENA.

“The GCC’s e-commerce market has been booming and is expected to reach sales of more than $20bn by the end of this year,” Benturquia said. “FODEL is supporting this growth by offering an alternative to home delivery.”

Saudi Arabia in particular should be a fruitful new market for FODEL, with reports suggesting that last-mile delivery failure rates in the Kingdom sit at around 40%, which inevitably leads to inconsolable customer dissatisfaction. The simple act of expanding delivery capacity should bring down that number, while PUDO - by its very nature as a scalable solution - offers the added benefit of increased bandwidth during peak shopping seasons.