Dubai’s Flying Food Delivery Is Back — You Can Now Order Shawarma by Drone

What happened? Keeta Drone has resumed autonomous food deliveries in Dubai after receiving regulatory approvals from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA).

Who is affected? Residents in eligible areas around Dubai Silicon Oasis can order from participating restaurants and food outlets through the Keeta app.

Why does it matter? The return of drone deliveries marks another step in Dubai’s wider plan to build a commercial low-altitude delivery network across the city.

At a Glance

• Location: Silicon Central Mall, Dubai Silicon Oasis
• Organisation: Keeta Drone, with regulatory oversight from DCAA
• Status: Drone deliveries have resumed
• Who is affected: Customers in eligible surrounding areas
• Business impact: Participating restaurants can use an additional delivery channel
• What’s next: Keeta plans to add more locations across Dubai

Dubai drone delivery is back, with Keeta restarting its autonomous food delivery service from Silicon Central Mall in Dubai Silicon Oasis. The company announced the resumption on September 2, following regulatory approvals from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

Customers in eligible areas can order through the existing Keeta app, with food ranging from shawarma and coffee to desserts, Indian and Italian dishes. Depending on the delivery area, orders can either be collected from designated lockers or delivered to homes through Keeta’s rider collaboration model.

The move also builds on Dubai’s longer-term push to make drone deliveries part of everyday urban logistics.

Where can customers order drone-delivered food in Dubai?

The service is currently operating from Silicon Central Mall, with participating food and beverage outlets serving customers in selected surrounding areas.

Keeta said customers can place their orders through its regular app. There is no separate application specifically for drone deliveries.

For locker collection, customers can collect their orders from designated locations at RIT or the Emirates Building near Foodings Cafe in Dubai Silicon Oasis.

In selected parts of DSO, Keeta’s rider collaboration model can take the order from the drone delivery point and complete the final journey to the customer’s home.

This means not every customer in Dubai Silicon Oasis will automatically receive a drone at their doorstep. Availability depends on the delivery zone and the participating merchants.

What food can you order by drone?

The service is not limited to one type of cuisine.

Keeta says customers can find participating brands offering shawarma, coffee, boba and speciality beverages, desserts, Italian food and Indian cuisine, along with other food and drinks.

The selection will depend on which merchants are connected to the Silicon Central Mall operation and whether the customer’s location falls within the eligible service area.

For residents, the biggest change is that drone delivery is being built directly into a food-ordering platform they already use rather than being treated as a separate technology demonstration.

How does Keeta drone delivery work?

The process is designed to look similar to a normal food order from the customer’s side.

First, an eligible customer opens the Keeta app and selects a participating merchant. If the delivery location and order qualify for drone delivery, the autonomous service becomes part of the fulfilment process.

The food is prepared by the participating outlet before being handed over for drone delivery.

Instead of a traditional delivery rider carrying the order throughout the journey, the drone transports it through an approved low-altitude route to a designated landing or collection point.

Customers then collect the order from a locker or, in selected DSO areas, receive it through Keeta’s rider collaboration system.

The use of designated collection points is important because drone delivery does not currently mean that an aircraft can simply land outside every customer’s home.

Dubai has been testing drone deliveries for years

The latest rollout is part of a wider programme that has been developing in Dubai since 2024.

In December 2024, Dubai launched what the Dubai Media Office described as the Middle East’s first drone delivery system in Dubai Silicon Oasis. The initiative involved the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Keeta Drone and other government and technology partners.

The programme was designed to test how drones could support commercial deliveries in a real urban environment.

Dubai has also set a broader target for drone deliveries. Government announcements have previously outlined plans for drone delivery services to eventually cover 33 per cent of the emirate by 2030.

The network has already moved beyond its original DSO testing area. In October 2025, DCAA and Keeta announced a new drone delivery route in Nad Al Sheba, while Keeta was operating multiple routes in Dubai Silicon Oasis.

Dubai Municipality also announced a partnership with Keeta Drone in May 2026 to explore drone-delivery services in selected public parks and beaches.

These developments suggest the technology is being considered for more than restaurant deliveries, with potential applications across Dubai’s wider logistics network.

Why Dubai is investing in low-altitude delivery

Drone delivery fits into Dubai’s wider focus on autonomous transport and smart-city technology.

For businesses, autonomous delivery could eventually provide another way to move smaller orders across short urban routes. It could also help merchants reach customers without relying entirely on conventional road-based deliveries.

For customers, the appeal is straightforward: shorter delivery routes and another option for receiving everyday purchases.

However, the technology remains dependent on approved flight paths, operating zones and aviation safety requirements.

Dubai Future Foundation’s BVLOS drone-delivery programme, for example, outlines a regulatory and testing framework for operations beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight. This includes risk assessment, validation flights and certification requirements.

That regulatory framework is key to expanding drone delivery safely in a busy city like Dubai.

Dubai residents should not expect drone delivery to replace regular food riders across the city immediately. For now, the service is limited to eligible areas around Dubai Silicon Oasis and participating merchants.

But the practical significance is bigger than one shawarma order.

Keeta’s return gives residents another delivery option while giving restaurants a chance to test autonomous logistics in a live commercial environment. For Dubai, each new route provides another step towards its wider drone-delivery ambitions.

More locations are expected as Keeta expands its network, although the company has not announced a complete citywide rollout timetable.

FAQs

Can I order food by drone anywhere in Dubai?

No. Keeta Drone is currently available only in selected eligible areas connected to its operating network. The latest service is centred on Silicon Central Mall and surrounding areas of Dubai Silicon Oasis.

How do I order drone delivery in Dubai?

Eligible customers can use the Keeta app and order from participating merchants. Drone delivery availability depends on the customer’s location and the participating outlet.

What food can be delivered by drone?

Participating outlets offer options including shawarma, coffee, boba and speciality drinks, desserts, Indian food and Italian cuisine.

Do drones deliver directly to homes?

Not in every area. Customers may need to collect their order from designated lockers. In selected parts of Dubai Silicon Oasis, Keeta’s rider collaboration model can complete delivery to the customer’s home.

Will drone delivery expand to other parts of Dubai?

Keeta says more locations will be added as its network expands. Dubai has also been developing a broader drone-delivery programme, with a government target for drone delivery coverage to reach 33 per cent of the emirate by 2030.

Dubai’s flying food delivery service is back, giving eligible residents in Dubai Silicon Oasis a chance to order everything from shawarma and coffee to desserts through autonomous drones. The current service remains limited to selected zones, but it forms part of a much larger push to make drone delivery a practical part of Dubai’s future logistics network.

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