DUBAI, UAE – November 19, 2025 – Dr. Yinian Mao, Vice President of Meituan and President of Keeta Drone, has highlighted how policy innovation and advanced drone technology are helping Dubai lead in smart, sustainable urban logistics during his keynote speech at Dubai Airshow 2025 today.
Mao described Dubai as a “singularity” for the global low-altitude economy, driven by fast-moving policies and groundbreaking technology during the address entitled “From Policy to Progress – Building the Skyways for Urban Logistics.”
Keeta Drone secured Dubai’s first BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) commercial drone delivery licence at the end of 2024, and the company has since rolled out its drone delivery network to multiple routes around the Dubai Silicon Oasis district. Its fourth-generation autonomous delivery drones and automated ground support units are providing fast, contactless, and eco-friendly deliveries, connecting residential and commercial areas and supporting the development of smart, sustainable urban logistics in Dubai.
Keeta Drone recently expanded its drone delivery services, with the addition of a new route in Nad Al Sheba in October. Operated under the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority’s (DCAA) regulatory framework, with support from Dubai Silicon Oasis, the new route further expands Keeta Drone’s operational footprint, delivering food orders from restaurants and cafés in Nad Al Sheba Avenue Mall, with the Nad Al Sheba Grand Mosque designated as the drone landing point.
During the keynote, Mao discussed how Dubai’s welcoming policy environment for technological innovation and drone applications was the decisive factor in selecting the Emirate as Keeta Drone’s first overseas base. “We believe a progressive policy is the first step for drone delivery to take off”, Mao said. “And once we can get in the air, we can discover more business opportunities. ”
Mao focused on how drone delivery also supports greener cities in line with the Middle East’s carbon reduction goals.
Mao highlighted how Keeta Drone has adapted its drones to meet the challenges of Dubai’s unique climate. The team has engineered the drones for year-round reliability and to operate in sandy and windy conditions, with temperatures exceeding 50°C.
To ensure safe operations, Keeta Drone developed a powerful AI simulation system to adapt to local geographical and terrain features — running millions of training cycles to identify safety hazards that would have otherwise required hundreds of thousands of real flights to uncover.
On the service side, the team is exploring integration with Keeta to expand product selection by bringing in more merchants for greater consumer choice. Taking into account the shopping habits of Middle Eastern consumers, the company also plans to introduce nighttime capabilities and other new technologies to meet local consumer needs and to expand the local low-altitude economy, from pilot projects to widespread adoption.
Mao added: “Keeta has recently opened up business in Dubai, in the UAE. We are soon integrating with Keeta to bring more merchants and more selections to our consumers. A recent proposal by DCAA, by the year 2030, 70% 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.”
