Drone delivery will play a vital role in shaping the Middle East’s sustainable urban development, according to Dr. Yinian Mao, Vice President of Meituan and President of Keeta Drone, speaking at Dubai Airshow 2025.
In his keynote speech titled “From Policy to Progress – Building the Skyways for Urban Logistics,” Dr. Mao described Dubai as a “singularity” in the global low-altitude economy, driven by progressive policies and technological innovation.
Keeta Drone secured Dubai’s first Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) commercial drone delivery licence in late 2024 and has since launched multiple delivery routes around the Dubai Silicon Oasis district. The company’s fourth-generation autonomous drones and automated ground support units are enabling fast, contactless, and environmentally friendly delivery services connecting residential and commercial zones.
In October 2025, Keeta expanded its operations with a new route in Nad Al Sheba under DCAA’s regulatory framework and with the support of Dubai Silicon Oasis. The service currently delivers food orders from restaurants and cafés at Nad Al Sheba Avenue Mall, landing at the Nad Al Sheba Grand Mosque.
Dr. Mao said that Dubai’s innovation-friendly policies were a decisive factor in choosing it as Keeta Drone’s first overseas base. “We believe a progressive policy is the first step for drone delivery to take off,” he said. “And once we can get in the air, we can discover more business opportunities.”
He emphasised how drone logistics aligns with regional sustainability goals, supporting greener and more efficient urban environments. Keeta Drone has tailored its systems for Dubai’s desert climate, engineering drones to perform reliably in sandy, windy conditions and temperatures exceeding 50°C.
To ensure safety, the company has developed an AI simulation system capable of running millions of training cycles to identify potential hazards, vastly reducing the need for real-world testing.
Keeta Drone also plans to expand its services to include nighttime operations and a wider range of merchants, integrating with Keeta’s broader digital ecosystem to enhance consumer choice.
Mao added: “A recent proposal by DCAA, by the year 2030, 70 per cent of the city of Dubai will be covered by drone delivery, and here we’re starting to help achieve that vision and make this vision real.”
