Kuwait: In its latest effort to celebrate delivery riders and logistics partners and acknowledge their integral role in the company’s sustainable success, talabat, the leading on-demand online ordering platform in the MENA region, organized its Rider and Fleet Partner Appreciation night. The event took place on December 17th at The Regency, gathering over 700 delivery riders in addition to fleet partners and talabat staff.

Beyond the awards ceremony, the event featured a dynamic range of entertainment segments, engaging competitions, a talent show, and other on-ground activities.

This mega celebration builds on a previous recognition event that recognized delivery riders, setting a new benchmark for talabat’s definition of “Partners in Success” and underscoring its people-first integrated business model, which entwines the company’s growth with the holistic fulfillment of its delivery riders, partners, and staff.

“The success that talabat has achieved to date is the sum of so many efforts that span our in-house employees’, delivery riders’, and logistics partners’, all of whom share the same dedication to excellence, punctuality, and above all, humanity,” said Ihssan Al-Farran, Director of Logistics – Operations at talabat Kuwait. “The level of intricate coordination and timely response that delivery riders continue to exhibit on duty is an indispensable feature of our successful business offering, which allows us to expand our services and reach new customers with confidence.”

He added: “It is important to highlight that the value riders add to the staple talabat experience exceeds their punctual delivery and strict adherence to traffic and safety rules. In fact, it extends to acts of chivalry and humanity that magnify talabat’s role as an integrated member of society and advocate of positive change. For these reasons and more, we are proud to express our appreciation for riders’ and logistics partners’ contributions at every possible opportunity.”

On his part, Abdullah Al-Mansour, Director of Communications, Public Affairs, and Corporate Responsibility at talabat Kuwait, said: “With this year’s bigger-than-ever appreciation ceremony, we aim to focus the spotlight on the invaluable contributions of our dedicated and loyal delivery riders and logistic partners. As a people-first and rider-centric company, it is very important that we ensure that everyone who plays a role in talabat’s ongoing success, no matter its size, knows they are valued for who they are. Our business operations include numerous moving parts and involve the seamless cooperation and coordination between many teams and partners; nonetheless, our delivery riders continue to be our most visible ambassadors, whether they are on the street, practicing all road safety measures, or delivering goods and goodness – including compassion and kindness to people’s homes.”

With 19 award categories, talabat awarded riders and fleet partners with prizes exceeding USD 30,000 in value, including gold, cash, travel tickets, smartphones and more. Among the criteria of excellence and achievement highlighted during the ceremony, talabat recognized riders who exhibited a great sense of punctuality in delivering orders on time, paired with an unyielding responsibility to follow the Ministry of Interior’s (MOI) traffic rules and regulation for public safety. Furthermore, riders were recognized for their humane interactions with customers, beginning with helping elderly to curbing the hazard of a fire, rescuing animals while on duty, and other examples of the model behaviour that talabat stands for.

The full list of rider award categories includes: Top Performer of the Year; Top Traffic Safety Riders; Top Compliant Riders; Loyalty and Tenure (for riders who have been with talabat for more than three years); Top Riders for Quality; Top Riders Rated by Customers; and Community Heroes.

In addition, Fleet Partners awards included several categories, with winners recognized across the following: Long-Term Partnership Award (over five years); Rider Retention Excellence Award; Best New Fleet Partner (Rising Star); Communication and Responsiveness Excellence Award; Excellence in Peak Season Operations Award; Best Participation in Engagement Activities; Best Operational Performance; Peak-Hour Performance Champion; Best Compliance Award; and Onboarding Quality Excellence Award.

Echoing talabat’s appreciation for riders’ overall achievement, Fawaz Al-Mutairi, Astol Al Jahra for Delivering Consumer Goods Company representative commented: “The energy and genuine joy that define tonight’s event are a testament to talabat’s dedicated efforts to recognize delivery riders as valuable participants in the company’s success, as well as the long-lasting effect that gratitude has on any team. We join talabat in expressing our pride in the amazing riders who continue to deliver excellence and commitment, reminding everyone of the irreplaceable value of being earnest in one’s personal and professional lives.”

During the ceremony, Charles Ronald shared his heroic story of how he was able to step in and stop a fire from spreading, saving lives and property, saying: “Even though I arrived at the scene as a talabat delivery rider, I am also a human being who will always step in to help someone in need. This is a responsibility that we all have toward one another regardless of our professional role. So, when I saw that the restaurantI was receiving an order from was in danger, I didn’t think twice about doing all that is in my capacity to stop the fire from spreading.”

On a similar note, Parvez Ahmed commented on the award he received for his commitment to abiding by all road safety rules, saying: “Fast delivery should never be at the cost of anyone’s safety, neither me nor the people around me. Commitment and punctuality ensure that we deliver on talabat’s promise for speed and safety together, but never one at the expense of the other.”

On his part, Gurdev Singh, recipient of the best performance award, said: “I am honored to be recognized by talabat as a top performing rider. This accolade motivates me to maintain high standards of commitment, punctuality and safety in my work. talabat’s emphasis on safety and responsible delivery reinforces the importance of balancing speed with care, which encourages me to consistently give my best performance.”

It serves to note that as an engaged corporate citizen, talabat upholds its commitment to sharing its success and growth through its CSR program, which centers on elevating the quality of everyday lives for its community, beginning with its employees, logistics partners, and delivery riders.