Dubai, United Arab Emirates: In celebration of Emirati Women’s Day, talabat continues to support SMEs and home-grown restaurants owned by Emirati women by highlighting their contributions to the food & beverage industry.

With an increasing number of female-owned restaurant brands on the platform, talabat aims to provide Emirati women vendors with the tools to help them thrive by enhancing their brand’s online presence and reach.

Tatiana Rahal, talabat UAE’s first female Managing Director continues to support the UAE’s women empowerment efforts, applauding the successes of Emirati vendors on the talabat app. She commented: “It’s been deeply fulfilling to witness the growth of these Emirati female entrepreneurs and their role in building the community around them. Empowering homegrown businesses has always been a priority for talabat UAE. We want to accelerate their growth, by helping them enhance their online presence, bringing them closer to their customers. We are proud to be their partner on their journey to success on Emirati Women’s Day and every day.”

She added: “At talabat UAE, we share the Emirates’ vision of sustainable development and gender equality with 42% of management positions occupied by women, which is higher than the global benchmark.”

Speaking of their experiences as successful businesswomen, are five inspirational Emirati women who have partnered with talabat.

Young businesswoman, Shaikha Al Marri opened the first branch of O’Nuts in Dubai.

Inspired by her Emirati culture, she said: “I started this project in 2020 knowing that there was no donut business out there that had an authentic Emirati twist to it. I strive to deliver unique flavors, designs and even product names! I also put a lot of thought into the branding of my business, wanting something modern, bold, and relevant, in order to stand out. Having showcased at Miami Vibes Food Festival earlier this year, I’m excited for our new branch to open in Global Village soon. Along with my business,  I am pursuing my passion for flying and building my flying hours in Italy towards receiving a commercial license. I’m proud to be part of a country that supports women in achieving their dreams and showing the world that nothing is impossible. I’m very grateful for the support of my family throughout my journey which motivates me to work harder and break new boundaries.”

Atyab Sambosah conceived by Suhaila Al Hosani, brings delicious comfort food to Sharjah’s residents every day.

Commenting on what it’s like to be a woman in business, she said: “Looking back at when I started, I can’t believe how much I’ve overcome and achieved by myself. That makes me feel so empowered. Since then, I’ve learned that patience, positivity, and perseverance are key to running a business, along with the support of loved ones of course! I’m grateful for the support of my husband, who encouraged me to start my business and take that leap of faith, and my colleagues, who encouraged me to keep marching on. I also look to leaders like Her Highness Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi, the first female cabinet minister. She makes me proud to be an Emirati woman! I’ve always dreamed of owning my own business and being independent.”

Sinless Bakery by Aiysha Al Aidaroos proves that gluten and sugar-free sweets can be healthy, attainable, and delicious.

Starting out in the pandemic, she said: “When everything was at a standstill due to the lockdown, it strangely set the stage to build something new for myself and my community. Our products provide much-needed solutions for gluten sensitive customers and diabetic patients that struggle with finding healthy options. We noticed a lack of these services and wanted to promote a healthy lifestyle for all. Working with online delivery platforms such as talabat during the pandemic was crucial for our business, allowing us to successfully develop and deliver over 100 specialised products in this year alone.”

Observing a gap in the market for specialty sweets in Umm Al Quwain, Afrah Obaid developed Nam Nam Sweet Café.

Reflecting on her journey as a businesswoman, she said: “Seeing there was demand among customers in Umm Al Quwain for specialty sweets, I was inspired to open my own business and fill that gap. My advice to women looking to start their own businesses – always do your due diligence; cultivate a mindset of learning continually and steadily and look at trends and learn how to become part of them or set a trend. I’m proud to be the Emirati businesswoman that I am today and couldn’t have done it without the support of my community, community-led platforms like talabat, and of course my constant cheerleader, my husband.”

Home Made in Abu Dhabi – started by self-taught entrepreneur Manar Al Maamari with a mission to bring home food closer to people.

Having worked with talabat for over four years now, she said: “My business has hit its seventh-year mark and while it has been challenging, it’s also been incredibly rewarding to see my business grow in front of my eyes. I am immensely proud of myself and what I continue to achieve as a self-taught entrepreneur. The premium quality of the services and products that I provide is behind the success of my business and this continues to motivate me to enhance more offerings and even expand my outreach across the country.”

-Ends-

About talabat

When you think of food delivery in the MENA region, we’d be pretty surprised if talabat didn’t pop into your mind first! Since delivering our first order in Kuwait in 2004, we’ve grown quite a lot over the past 18 years into the leading local tech platform in the region.

We deliver hundreds of millions of food orders, grocery items and other products per year, to our customers in nine countries throughout the region. Our food delivery business works with well over 25,000 brands and almost 50,000 branches, while our q-commerce concept, talabat mart, now delivers groceries to customers in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman Qatar, and the UAE in many cases, 20 minutes or less!

Our customers, our partners, our people, our riders, and the communities in which we operate are at the heart of what we do. In 2021 alone, we facilitated the donation of well over 900,000 meals to those in need, as well as donated over 2.2million dollars to charity with the help of our partners and customers. talabat is part of Delivery Hero, the global leader in online food delivery and q-commerce.