DoorDash Completes Deliveroo Qatar Acquisition, Begins New Era in Food Delivery

Deliveroo Qatar has now officially folded into the global operations of DoorDash, marking a fresh chapter for one of the most recognisable food delivery names in the region. The announcement follows the formal completion of the acquisition, with DoorDash executives keen to stress that customers won’t suddenly lose the app or features they’ve grown used to.

In a public letter, DoorDash co-founder and CEO Tony Xu described the moment as “the beginning of a new chapter, not the end of an old one”. He pointed out that the Deliveroo app would continue to operate, but underpinned by DoorDash’s technology and reach. To his mind, this combination could help bring faster service, smarter features, and a bit more delight to the daily food-ordering routine. Fairly spot on marketing language, but the intent is clear enough.

The scale of Deliveroo’s footprint in Qatar is no small thing: seven million customers regularly use its platform, supported by around 178,000 partner restaurants and 130,000 riders. Xu addressed each of these groups directly, with promises of new tools for merchants to perform better both online and offline, and commitments to make working conditions safer and more secure for riders. It sounds ambitious, though I reckon the real test will be whether local restaurants actually see tangible growth once all the shiny new systems kick in.

On top of this change, DoorDash has appointed Wolt’s co-founder, Miki Kuusi, as the new chief executive of Deliveroo, alongside his existing role as Head of International at DoorDash. Kuusi is due to relocate to London to take on the post, and he didn’t hold back in praising Deliveroo’s founder Will Shu and his team, calling their achievement “remarkable”. Having bumped into entrepreneurs scaling across borders myself, I know full well that relocation at this level can be a bit of a faff, but it also signals serious intent from both sides.

That said, it’s easy to get carried away with the big vision. What matters for the average customer is whether their biryani arrives on time, still hot, and without the driver circling the block three times. And believe it or not, when Arageek meets founders around MENA, this question of *execution*—not just vision—always comes up. Fancy tech is great, but reliability keeps the orders flowing.

The shake-up might feel distant at first glance, yet it touches the core of how the platform runs day-to-day across Qatar. For startups watching from the sidelines, it’s also a reminder: even giants have to tread carefully when they merge cultures, systems, and expectations. One slip and… well, customers can be gone in a flash. On the flip side, if this integration works smoothly, the whole ecosystem—consumers, merchants, riders—could be chuffed to bits.

So, while the headlines are all about acquisitions and fancy titles, the real story, as often in this sector, will unfold over time. Whether customers notice any real difference in the next takeaway order remains to be seen, but the pieces are in place for a potentially bigger impact. For now, it’s a waiting game—though definately one worth keeping an eye on.

🚀 Got exciting news to share?

If you're a startup founder, VC, or PR agency with big updates—funding rounds, product launches 📢, or company milestones 🎉 — AraGeek English wants to hear from you!

✉️ Send Us Your Story 👇

https://en.arageek.com/send-us-your-story-or-a-news-tip