The Delivery Economy: How digital platforms are reshaping opportunities for SMEs in Bahrain

The food sector in Bahrain is not shaped by the biggest names or the biggest budgets, but rather by entrepreneurs who seized opportunities at the right time and found the platforms that enable them to turn them into reality.

Digital delivery platforms have quietly reshaped the features of the food sector, shortening the distance between the distinctive product and the customer searching for it, and greatly reducing the costs and operational burdens that were hindering the transformation of small ideas into projects capable of growth and expansion.

Today, the scene is no longer what it was five years ago. The question is no longer whether opportunities are available, but rather whether the supporting systems are able to build sustainable relationships that keep pace with this growth and push it to broader horizons.

This shift comes within a broader economic context. When Bahrain’s economy recorded growth of 3.5% in 2025, this was not the result of the performance of major companies alone. Small and medium enterprises still constitute the backbone of the private sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as they represent the majority of registered establishments, attract a large proportion of the workforce, and constitute a fundamental pillar of the gross domestic product.

However, growth for many of them, especially in the food sector, remains associated with challenges. Expansion through branches required high investments and reaching new customers outside the site was important, while delivery operations fell entirely on the responsibility of the project owner.

What digital delivery platforms have done over time is to radically change this equation, by providing access to an operational structure, customer base, and broader reach, which would have required years and much greater investments to achieve.

Delivery platforms have also redefined the concept of growth for SMEs. Whereas expanding the customer base required opening a new branch or spending heavily on marketing, today the merchant can reach a whole new audience through the platforms, without incurring these costs.

The logistics infrastructure is in place, payment processes are managed, and the customer base is ready and constantly ordering, allowing the focus to be on the product itself. Food delivery app revenues in Bahrain amounted to approximately $361 million in 2024, with expectations to exceed $500 million by 2029. This reflects a growing demand, while platforms allow small businesses to access this demand, often on an equal footing with larger companies.

Kita sees this transformation daily as merchants join the platform as small businesses, and expand rapidly because digital technologies have given them complexities that they were not prepared to manage on their own, starting from delivery to payment to reaching customers. Thus, the platform becomes a natural extension of their business, and bears the operational burden that may slow down or hinder the project’s growth.

However, this growth does not happen automatically; Because access to platforms is not enough, it requires partnerships and business models that support the sustainability of these projects.

Small, independent restaurants operate differently from large chains and have limited resources, while needing reliable and more equitable partnerships.

There is no doubt that the platforms that realize this reality, and build their tools, fee structures, and support for merchants on its basis, will determine the features of this sector in the future, and the extent to which everyone will benefit from its opportunities.

Bahrain Vision 2030 has set a clear path towards a private sector-led economy, in which small and medium enterprises form a major foundation. Delivery platforms are no longer secondary to achieving this goal, but rather have become part of the structure on which it is based.

By lowering barriers, expanding access, and connecting ambition to the broader market, these platforms help turn vision into tangible growth.

Although the role of platforms has already been greatly established in the journey of small and medium-sized companies in Bahrain, the most important question remains: Will they go beyond this role to build partnerships that not only support growth, but also contribute to directing it in a more comprehensive and sustainable manner, ensuring real value for the businesses they serve?

Written by: Eden Chow, General Manager of Kita Bahrain