AI Transforms Retail: Foodics Pushes for Seamless, Personalised Customer Experiences

I was reminded the other day, while chatting with a young founder at an Arageek community meet-up, how often people still talk about artificial intelligence as if it’s some far‑off sci‑fi leap. So it was interesting to hear Belal Zahran, the International Managing Director of Foodics Egypt & UAE, hammer home a different point during the SHE CAN TECH & AI Edition Summit in Cairo: AI isn’t tomorrow’s thing anymore — it’s right here, reshaping how business gets done before we’ve even had our morning coffee.

Zahran joined a panel on how AI is influencing the future of e‑commerce and retail, and he didn’t mince words. He compared today’s shift to the kind of world-altering moments that came with the invention of fire or the steam engine. A big claim, but I reckon he’s not far off. He explained that Foodics has already rolled out AI tools that trim multi‑step operational tasks down to seconds. And believe it or not, he expects the technology to move from simply helping people make decisions to actually carrying them out — a proper shake-up for workflows across different sectors.

What stood out, though, was his point about the balance between machines and humans. AI might be brilliant at tackling both routine and complex tasks, but it doesn’t have the creativity or empathy that make people, well… people. On the flip side, that means there’s still plenty of room for talent, as long as individuals keep honing those uniquely human skills. I’ve seen this myself with a few startups we’ve supported at Arageek; the teams that mix tech with emotional intelligence tend to go farthest.

Zahran also touched on Foodics’ broader strategy, saying the company is doubling down on strengthening its competitive edge and cementing its role as a provider of smart restaurant tech. The aim is a smoother, more personalised experience for end customers — no small ambition in a sector where speed and service can make or break loyalty. He described a future where AI quietly blends into the physical world, recognising returning customers and even anticipating what they might fancy before they say a word. Sounds spot on for anyone who hates the faff of repeating their order every single visit.

Still, he didn’t gloss over Egypt’s challenges. Data gaps and infrastructure hurdles remain, and he was upfront about the country’s digital transformation being in its early days. That said, he expressed real confidence in Egypt’s tech‑savvy youth, calling them a force capable of pushing the country into the front ranks of AI‑driven economies. I’ve met some of these young builders, and honestly, they’re chuffed to bits to be shaping something bigger than themselves — even if they’re still figuring out the roadmap.

Foodics itself has grown rapidly since entering Egypt in 2020, recording threefold year‑on‑year growth and supporting major restaurant and café brands across the country. The company’s SaaS-based platform has already made it a standout player in the F&B tech scene across the MENA region.

If anything, the discussion felt like a reminder that AI’s story here isn’t just about algorithms — it’s about people learning to work with them. And, hopefully, not getting too carried away along the way. As one founder joked to me recently, “the future is arriving a bit faster than we planned”… and she was definately right.

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