Key Talabat and UAE food delivery statistics for 2026
- talabat's GMV grew 27% in 2025 to USD 9,421m, from USD 7,428m in 2024 (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
- talabat's revenue in the UAE was USD 1,680,452,563 over its first 485-day financial period (3 Sep 2024 to 31 Dec 2025), more than in any other country. (Talabat, Mar 2026)
- talabat averaged 7.6 million monthly active users in Q4 2025, up 1.2 million (+19%) on a year earlier (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
- talabat's food delivery sales in the UAE were more than 4 times those of the next largest platform at year-end 2025. (Redseer for Talabat, annual report, Mar 2026 (commissioned))
- Dubai has more than 70,000 delivery riders, the number RTA's year-round safety programmes target. (Dubai RTA, Aug 2026)
- talabat listed over 20,000 restaurants in the UAE in September 2024. (Talabat, Nov 2024)
- Commissions earned talabat 13.1% of GMV in Q2 2026, down from 13.6% a year earlier (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Aug 2026)
- talabat made USD 464m net income in 2025, 4.9% of GMV (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
- talabat's grocery and retail GMV grew 47% to USD 2,768m in 2025, from USD 1,886m (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
- Dubai Police issued 78,386 violations to delivery riders in the first nine months of 2025, already more than in all of 2024. (Dubai RTA, Oct 2025)
- Nearly 30% of UAE Visa cards were active on food delivery apps in 2026, up from around 2% in 2018. (Visa, Oct 2026)
- talabat's IPO raised about USD 2.0bn, the largest global tech IPO of 2024 at the time (Dubai (DFM)). (Talabat, Nov 2024)
How to cite this page. Use any figure here, credit the original source shown next to it, and link to this page: "Talabat & UAE Food Delivery Statistics 2026, Adjoltz, updated 15 October 2026, https://adjoltz.com/blog/uae-food-delivery-statistics/".
How big is food delivery in the UAE?
talabat's revenue in the UAE was USD 1,680,452,563 over its first 485-day financial period (3 Sep 2024 to 31 Dec 2025), more than in any other country. (Talabat, Mar 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| talabat calls the UAE its largest market. | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| Foodservice spending Talabat can target across its 8 countries is worth about USD 27bn. | OC&C and Redseer for Talabat, May 2026 (commissioned) |
| The market talabat targets in its five GCC countries (food service, grocery and retail) was estimated at USD 68.8bn in 2023, forecast to reach USD 107.9bn by 2029 (GCC (UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman)). | OC&C and Redseer for Talabat, Nov 2024 (commissioned) |
Talabat is the only platform that publishes audited UAE figures. Lines marked "all Talabat markets" cover its 8 countries, not just the UAE.
How fast is Talabat growing?
talabat's GMV grew 27% in 2025 to USD 9,421m, from USD 7,428m in 2024 (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| talabat's GCC GMV rose 22% to USD 7,702m in 2025, from USD 6,332m in 2024. | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat's GMV outside the GCC (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq) rose 57% to USD 1,719m in 2025 (non-GCC segment). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat's food GMV grew 20% to USD 6,652m in 2025, from USD 5,542m (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat's group GMV was USD 2.9bn in Q2 2026, up 11% year on year (12% at constant currency) (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat's GCC GMV was USD 2.3bn in Q2 2026, up 5% year on year, and 78% of the group total (83% a year earlier). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat expects GMV to grow 13-15% in 2026 at constant currency, up from 11-14% guided in May (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
How many people use Talabat?
talabat averaged 7.6 million monthly active users in Q4 2025, up 1.2 million (+19%) on a year earlier (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| talabat averaged 6.4 million monthly active users in Q4 2024 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat averaged 5.1 million monthly active users in Q4 2023 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat customers placed 585 million orders in 2025 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| The average talabat customer placed 6.8 orders a month in Q4 2025, up from 6.2 in Q4 2023 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| Subscribers to talabat pro generated 51% of talabat's platform GMV in June 2026, 1.4 times the share a year earlier (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| More than one in four active talabat customers subscribe to talabat pro (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| Nearly 30% of UAE Visa cards were active on food delivery apps in 2026, up from around 2% in 2018. | Visa, Oct 2026 |
What is Talabat's market share in the UAE?
talabat's food delivery sales in the UAE were more than 4 times those of the next largest platform at year-end 2025. (Redseer for Talabat, annual report, Mar 2026 (commissioned))
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| In H1 2024, talabat's UAE food delivery sales were more than 3 times those of the next largest platform. | OC&C and Redseer for Talabat, Nov 2024 (commissioned) |
| In grocery and retail delivery, talabat's UAE sales were about twice those of the next largest platform in H1 2024. | OC&C and Redseer for Talabat, Nov 2024 (commissioned) |
| Across talabat's GCC markets, its lead over the next platform ranged from 1x+ in Qatar (year-end 2025) to 10x+ in Oman (mid-2024 data). | Redseer for Talabat, annual report, Mar 2026 (commissioned) |
| talabat describes the UAE as a highly competitive market with 5 key players. | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| 80% of talabat customers in Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Bahrain ranked talabat as their number one preferred platform (Sept 2024) (5 countries combined). | Talabat, Nov 2024 |
| talabat bought Zomato's UAE food delivery business in February 2019 and ran both brands until November 2022. | Talabat, Nov 2024 |
The "times the next platform" figures are estimates from research Talabat paid for, not a percentage market share.
How many delivery riders are there in Dubai?
Dubai has more than 70,000 delivery riders, the number RTA's year-round safety programmes target. (Dubai RTA, Aug 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 2,948 delivery companies operate in Dubai, about 18% more than a year earlier. | Dubai RTA, Jun 2026 |
| talabat had 157,000 active riders in December 2025, up 27% from 123,000 a year earlier (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat's active rider network grew 25% to about 189,000 riders (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat added more than 8,000 riders in Q1 2026 while operating through the regional conflict (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, May 2026 |
| Talabat paid its riders USD 1.5bn in delivery costs in 2025 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| talabat riders earned over USD 21.5 million in customer tips in 2025 and kept all of it (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
Talabat's 2026 rider count includes instashop, which it bought in 2025, so it is not like for like with the 2025 figure.
How many restaurants are on Talabat in the UAE?
talabat listed over 20,000 restaurants in the UAE in September 2024. (Talabat, Nov 2024)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| talabat listed 4,000 local shops in the UAE in September 2024, more than 3,000 of them grocery shops. | Talabat, Nov 2024 |
| talabat's active partners grew 22% in 2025, from 69,000 to 84,000 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat had about 97,000 active partners (restaurants and shops), up 14% year on year (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| Restaurants and shops funded a record USD 404 million of customer discounts on talabat in H1 2026, up 30% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
How much does Talabat earn from each order?
Commissions earned talabat 13.1% of GMV in Q2 2026, down from 13.6% a year earlier (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Aug 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Own grocery (talabat mart) and other income equalled 14.8% of GMV in Q2 2026, up from 12.4% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| Delivery fees paid by customers equalled 6.2% of talabat's GMV in Q2 2026, down from 6.9% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| Advertising and listing fees from restaurants and brands equalled 3.4% of GMV in Q2 2026, up from 3.1% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| Service fees equalled 2.3% of talabat's GMV in Q2 2026, up from 2.1% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| Subscription fees (talabat pro) equalled 1.0% of GMV in Q2 2026, up from 0.6% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat kept 39% of GMV as revenue in Q2 2026, up from 38% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat earned USD 1,297m in commission fees in 2025, up 22% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
These are shares of all money spent on the platform (GMV), not the commission rate a restaurant signs up to.
Is Talabat profitable, and what is it worth?
talabat made USD 464m net income in 2025, 4.9% of GMV (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| talabat's IFRS revenue was USD 3,756m in 2025 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat's revenue rose 16% to USD 1.1bn in Q2 2026 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat's net income fell 18% to USD 100m in Q2 2026, 3.4% of GMV (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat now expects 2026 net income of USD 325-355m, up from USD 300-330m (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat's GCC segment earned USD 881,778,117 of external revenue in Q2 2026. | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat's GCC segment made USD 99,438,996 profit before tax in Q2 2026, down from USD 151,665,217 a year earlier. | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat's GCC segment made USD 568,255,640 net profit over the 485-day period to 31 Dec 2025. | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| talabat priced its IPO at AED 1.60 a share, valuing it at about AED 37.3bn (USD 10.1bn) at listing (listed on DFM, Dubai). | Talabat, Nov 2024 |
| talabat's IPO raised about USD 2.0bn, the largest global tech IPO of 2024 at the time (Dubai (DFM)). | Talabat, Nov 2024 |
| talabat shares were listed on the Dubai Financial Market on 10 December 2024. | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| UAE investors held 7.5% of talabat's shares at the end of 2025 (UAE shareholders). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| Delivery Hero, through Delivery Hero MENA Holding GmbH, owns 80.0% of talabat (shareholder register). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| talabat's board recommended USD 421m in total dividends for 2025, a 90% payout (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Feb 2026 |
| talabat had bought back 108.1 million of its own shares at an average AED 1.182 by 12 August 2026 (DFM-listed company). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
UAE revenue covers Talabat's first financial period, 485 days from 3 September 2024 to 31 December 2025.
What are the big trends in UAE food delivery?
talabat's grocery and retail GMV grew 47% to USD 2,768m in 2025, from USD 1,886m (all Talabat markets). (Talabat, Feb 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| talabat mart, talabat's own dark-store grocery business, sold USD 1.25bn in 2025 from about 160 dark stores (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| Advertising margins for talabat mart in the UAE reached 7% of GMV in Q4 2025, double the company average. | Talabat, May 2026 |
| Fixed costs of talabat mart dark stores in the UAE rose to 5.7% of UAE talabat mart GMV in Q2 2026, from 4.9% in Q4 2025. | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| In UAE areas where talabat added dark stores, talabat mart delivery cost per order improved 11.1% year on year, against 1.3% elsewhere. | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat had 240 electric vehicles delivering in the UAE as of January 2026. | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| talabat helped introduce over 70 battery-swap stations for electric delivery bikes across the UAE. | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| Dubai's RTA e-bike delivery service now covers 11 areas: 4 from the February 2026 trial plus 7 added in July 2026. | Dubai RTA, Jul 2026 |
How safe are delivery riders in Dubai?
Dubai Police issued 78,386 violations to delivery riders in the first nine months of 2025, already more than in all of 2024. (Dubai RTA, Oct 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Dubai Police issued 70,166 traffic violations to delivery motorcycle riders in 2024. | Dubai RTA, Oct 2025 |
| Dubai Police recorded 854 traffic accidents caused by delivery riders' violations in 2024, and 962 in 2025 by mid-October. | Dubai RTA, Oct 2025 |
| Deaths involving delivery motorcycles in Dubai fell from 35 in 2024 to 33 in 2025. | Dubai RTA, Aug 2026 |
| RTA ran more than 120 field awareness activities for delivery riders in 2025, reaching over 17,000 riders. | Dubai RTA, Aug 2026 |
| Dubai has about 40 air-conditioned rest areas for delivery riders, each holding about 10 riders. | Dubai RTA, Jun 2026 |
| RTA set up 23 temporary summer rest areas for delivery riders at bus and metro stations in 2026, up from 15 in 2025 (+53%). | Dubai RTA, Jun 2026 |
| talabat riders made 1.6 million visits to talabat rest stops in summer 2025, up 26% (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
| talabat riders were on average 94% compliant with its safety rules (speed, harsh riding, phone use) in December 2025 (all Talabat markets). | Talabat, Mar 2026 |
The 2025 accident count runs only to mid-October 2025.
What rules apply to delivery riders and platforms?
Since 1 November 2025, Dubai delivery riders may not use the leftmost lanes on major roads. (Dubai RTA, Oct 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Delivery riders who break Dubai's fast-lane rule are fined AED 500 the first time and AED 700 the second; a third offence suspends their permit. | Dubai RTA, Oct 2025 |
| From end-December 2025, company delivery motorcycles in Dubai get a second, front number plate in gold with the code 9. | Dubai RTA, Dec 2025 |
| UAE Cabinet Decision No. 59, putting the 2023 Competition Law into effect, was published on 20 April 2026 and took effect on 20 July 2026, according to talabat. | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
| talabat received two notices from the UAE's Competition and Consumer Protection Department over exclusivity-linked commission discounts for restaurants. | Talabat, Nov 2024 |
| Kuwait capped delivery platform fees at 17% of order value (10% when the restaurant delivers) from 1 September 2026 (Kuwait (GCC peer, for comparison)). | Talabat, Aug 2026 |
Kuwait's 17% fee cap is shown for comparison; it does not apply in the UAE.
How we built this page
Every figure comes from the organisation that produced it: government bodies and regulators, company filings and official documents, and original research by the organisation that ran it. We opened each source, confirmed the number on the page and kept the exact wording in a verification sheet, checked on 15 October 2026. Talabat reports most figures for all its markets or its GCC segment; each line says which. Market-share multiples come from research Talabat commissioned and are labelled so. Market sizes from paywalled research firms are left out. Research paid for by a company with an interest in the result is labelled "commissioned", and modelled figures are labelled "estimate". We check every source link monthly and refresh the numbers each quarter.
Sources
- OC&C Strategy Consultants with Redseer, for Talabat Holding plc, Talabat Holding plc International Offering Memorandum (2024-11-19)
- Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police, Regulating Delivery Bike Use on Roads Starting First of November 2025 (2025-10-19)
- Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai, Approving Additional Front Plate for Company-Operated Delivery Motorcycles (2025-12-15)
- Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai, The Readiness of 40 Air-Conditioned Rest Areas for Delivery Bike Riders (2026-06-04)
- Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai, 23 Temporary Rest Areas to Protect Delivery Riders From Heat-Stress (2026-06-22)
- Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai, 7 New Areas for the E-bike Delivery Service (2026-07-27)
- Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai, Launching 'Safe and Healthy Summer' Campaign to Enhance Traffic Safety for Delivery Riders (2026-08-07)
- Talabat Holding plc, Talabat Holding plc prices its IPO at the top of the range, raising $2 billion (2024-11-29)
- Talabat Holding plc, talabat Q4 2025 results press release (2026-02-13)
- Talabat Holding plc, talabat Q4 and FY 2025 results presentation (2026-02-13)
- Talabat Holding plc, talabat Annual Report 2025 (2026-03-31)
- Talabat Holding plc, talabat Q1 2026 results presentation (2026-05-12)
- Talabat Holding plc, talabat Q2 and H1 2026 results press release (2026-08-12)
- Talabat Holding plc, Talabat Holding PLC condensed consolidated interim financial statements, six months to 30 June 2026 (2026-08-12)
- Talabat Holding plc, talabat Q2 2026 results presentation (2026-08-12)
- Talabat Holding plc (category data: OC&C and Redseer), talabat Investor Presentation (May 2026) (2026-05-14)
- Visa (Visa Business and Economic Insights), Visa data reveals the UAE's "Couch Economy", with online and in-app payments exceeding half of domestic payment volume (2026-10-12)
