Waselly.com, the first and only web portal in the UAE which allows users to order food online for delivery, yesterday signed a partnership agreement with the Jawad Business Group. The leading group of companies is the latest addition to Waselly’s growing portfolio of food outlet subscribers.
The Jawad Business Group which covers the GCC region includes brands such as Thai Express, Papa Johns and Dairy Queen which have long been popular in the region. As well as food, the group own a number of retail outlets in the UAE and Bahrain. Signing the group will bring the total number of restaurants under Waselly’s online food court to 33 serving over 5000 registered users.
Managing Partner of Waselly, Mohamed Nassar said, “It is a big step forward for Waselly to sign the Jawad business group. Their operations are huge in the region, with a number of highly popular brands which have long been present in the region. Extending Waselly’s services will be excellent for customers who will now have even greater choice in Waselly’s online food court.”
Nassar, who launched the service in June of this year, spoke about the developments of online shopping in the region. “People in the UAE are becoming much more familiar with the idea of using the internet to order goods or services which are hugely popular around Europe and the West. Eventually the UAE will see more and more people buying items like their groceries online for convenience, especially as people here work even longer hours.”
“Currently online home delivery options are quite rare, but from market research and analysis that we’ve done so far, there’s a real call for greater and more specialized online services,” added Nassar.
Currently Waselly delivers food and beverages throughout Dubai and will be expanding soon to cater to Sharjah by the end of 2007. It targets young professionals and students who are often too caught up in pace of Dubai life to want the hassle of calling delivery outlets themselves. The service is free and allows users to view complete menus from a range of different restaurants.
