Talabat Appoints First Chief International Officer to Boost Regional Integration

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 13-04-2026

3 min

Talabat appoints Bader Al-Ghanim as first Chief International Officer to unify markets.

He will oversee eight markets, aligning teams and regional key accounts.

The focus shifts to scaling grocery, retail and expanding non-food categories.

Al-Ghanim previously drove “strong and consistent performance” in Kuwait.

The move aims to tighten execution and shape growth behind the scenes.

Talabat is sharpening its regional playbook. The MENA on-demand delivery platform has appointed Bader Al-Ghanim as its first Chief International Officer, a newly created role designed to tighten collaboration across markets and ensure more consistent execution as the company grows.

From where I sit, watching the region’s delivery space evolve over the years, this feels like more than a simple title change. It signals a shift towards deeper integration, especially as quick commerce and non-food categories become central to the strategy rather than side bets.

In his new role, Al-Ghanim will oversee Managing Directors across eight markets, along with regional key accounts. The idea is straightforward but ambitious: bring teams closer, align operations, and create a more unified multi-vertical platform. For now, he will also continue leading the Kuwait market during the transition.

Talabat’s CEO, Toon Gyssels, highlighted that Al-Ghanim has been instrumental since joining the company. He launched the company’s vertically integrated grocery offering early on and later shaped the Kuwait business as Managing Director. Gyssels said he is confident Al-Ghanim will help bring teams closer together while building out the multi-vertical platform, pointing to his market expertise and execution track record.

Al-Ghanim, commenting on the move, described the moment as pivotal for talabat’s growth journey. He noted that the focus now is on scaling grocery and retail verticals while expanding further into non-food categories. The goal, he said, is to unlock cross-market opportunities and drive long-term value creation.

And believe it or not, that non-food push may be where things get really interesting. Food delivery might have been the headline act for years, but groceries, pharmacy items, and everyday retail are no longer just add-ons. In many markets, they are becoming the bread and butter. I’ve seen a few founders across the region struggle to balance multiple verticals, it can be a bit of a faff operationally, so aligning markets under one international lead could prove spot on.

Before this role, Al-Ghanim led talabat Kuwait through what the company describes as a period of strong and consistent performance. His background also includes leadership roles across Kuwait’s shipping, grocery, and retail sectors, industries that demand operational discipline and local know-how.

That said, expanding across eight markets is no small feat. Each country has its quirks, regulation, logistics, consumer habits. Anyone who has tried scaling even a small startup across two GCC markets will tell you it’s not just copy-paste. It requires patience, and, well… a bit of humility.

The appointment also ties into broader ambitions in Kuwait, including support for Vision 2035 and the development of national talent in technology and innovation. For a regional player like talabat, investing in leadership that understands both local nuance and regional scale definately seems like the logical next step.

For readers at Arageek who follow the twists and turns of MENA startups, this move is another reminder that growth isn’t only about raising bigger rounds or entering shiny new markets. Sometimes, it’s about getting the structure right behind the scenes. And while leadership reshuffles don’t always grab headlines, this one could quietly shape how talabat competes in an increasingly crowded field.

🚀 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!