THE RIGHT APPROACH
By calculating every aspect of timing and delivery, Carriage has cornered the market through finesse, merit, and agility.
BIOGRAPHY
Abdullah Al Mutawa graduated with a civil engineering degree from the US and worked at Schlumberger before opening up his own restaurant in Kuwait City called the Stack, which led him to later found Carriage, the first service of its kind in Kuwait to combine online food ordering and delivery in one platform.What has been key for Carriage's success and intensive growth in such a short period of time?
My partners and I launched Carriage because we found a major need in the market for the services we offered. Targeted clients needed a tech solution that could run in the background and drive the logistics support efforts we were focused on. The best way to address this was to create our own customized system to address the suburban landscape in Kuwait, which makes delivery more challenging. The country is geographically dispersed, and we had to tackle this problem and make it feasible from a business perspective. We needed to make sure we could reach the maximum number of people in the shortest amount of time. We therefore developed algorithms and all our systems internally, thanks to our CTO, to provide customers with the fastest on-demand delivery platform. We started with the food sector, knowing that we would have the option to transfer into other verticals. We developed algorithms that take into consideration preparation, travel, and transit time to customers, even the amount of time it takes the consumer to pick up their order from the delivery personnel, before providing an ETA. We offered transparency and live tracking for the consumer, services that were appreciated by the end user. As such, we had a huge influx of consumers right off the bat, and a large number of restaurants started to deliver through us.
What factors allowed Carriage to properly and quickly implement it services in other parts of the region?
The entrepreneurial drive we have as founders is essential. We tend not to worry about bureaucracy and always think outside the box in terms of the solutions we implement. We are extremely agile. The way we operate in Kuwait is not the same as we operate in other regions. In Kuwait, for example, we have our own drivers, while in Saudi Arabia we hire freelancers. We are always working to understand the dynamics of the environment we are operating in. By understanding how each market operates, we are able to enter it in the most effective way. We are now attracting international players because we have the know-how and specialized knowledge to navigate the region. We were targeted by many international entities and sat down with a number of them. We were also growth driven and numbers oriented, meaning we were burning through cash in terms of marketing and customer growth. We wanted to ensure we could corner the market and develop the best possible service. One of the most important metrics of our success is the growing number of on-demand delivery platforms appearing in the market, which has also created healthy competition.
What have been your biggest challenges in the past year, and how have you managed them?
There have been two major problems: scale and talent acquisition. Talent acquisition was an issue across the board, especially in the tech department and other areas of our operations. Along the way, you need to make sure your team understands the company's strategy and goals. We had to make sure we were spoonfeeding strategy to our people to ensure they were onboard every step of the way. We usually like to hire from within. In Saudi Arabia, we used to have a Saudi GM, who is now is a deputy CEO. We have a Bahraini in charge in Bahrain; in fact, 99% of our employees in Bahrain are locals. Whenever we expand, we work on developing a workforce that is composed of that nationality. No one understands the market better than locals, which is the approach we try to take.
THE RIGHT APPROACH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Adel Abdul Wahab Al-Majed , Chairman, Kuwait Banking Association (KBA)
Through a broad array of information, specialized committees, staff expertise, and other resources, KBA supports Kuwait's banks as they perform their critical role in energizing the economy and helping communities thrive.
read articleInterview
Sheikh Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Director General, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA)
KDIPA adopts a proactive approach to attract value-added direct investments supported by an integrated promotional strategy serving Kuwait's developmental goals in line with its National Vision 2035.
read articleCommuniqué
Legal Reform and Infrastructure Projects Spell Opportunity for Foreign Investors
Along with the introduction and modernization of new laws and regulations, the vision of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into an international center for commerce and industry by 2035 is already being implemented through Kuwait's National Development Plan. Coupled with the promulgation of progressive FDI regulations, these new opportunities spell positive news for foreign companies looking to conduct business in Kuwait.
read articleFocus: Developing connectivity
Connecting the Dots
Today, connectivity is hardly indispensible for individuals and the companies where they work. Kuwait's smart cities, considered elsewhere in the book, will thrive on it, and meanwhile the nation continues to register notable business deals from the informatics sector.
read articleInterview
Khalid Abbas , Country Manager-Kuwait, Unilever
Contributing to the improved health and wellbeing of communities and reducing environmental footprint are key priorities for Unilever, which is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of up to 1 billion people globally by 2020.
read articleInterview
Mohammed Yousif Soud Al-Sabah , Board Chairman & Director, Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR)
PAAAFR has adapted a package of policies to face challenges inherent to deserts, hot climate, and water scarcity, bringing Kuwait closer to achieving national food security, one step at a time.
read articleInterview
Yang Chunsen, Vice President/ Chief Representative, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East (CSCME) Kuwait
CSCME is a technology-driven company that leverages its R&D and long-standing partnership with the government to increase its participation in the future development of Kuwait.
read article