Deliveroo has named Vasilis Hadjiaslanis as its new General Manager for the Middle East. He will run the food delivery company's business across the region as it moves into what it describes as its next phase of growth.
Hadjiaslanis brings more than 10 years of experience building and scaling technology and marketplace businesses across the Middle East and Africa. His track record includes senior leadership roles at Bolt and Uber, two platforms that, like Deliveroo, live or die by how well they match customers with drivers in real time.
From Ride Hailing to Restaurant Orders
Food delivery is a three sided business. Deliveroo has to keep restaurants, riders and customers happy at the same time, and when one side slips, the other two feel it fast. Ride hailing runs on a very similar model, which makes a decade spent at Uber and Bolt a natural fit for the job.
Hadjiaslanis has also done that work in this part of the world. Knowing how regional markets behave, from rider supply to customer habits, is a practical advantage for anyone running a delivery app in the Gulf.
A DoorDash Pick for the Region
The appointment comes from the top of Deliveroo's new parent company. DoorDash completed its acquisition of Deliveroo in October 2025, in a deal that valued the British company at around 2.9 billion pounds. Miki Kuusi, who co-founded the Finnish delivery app Wolt before DoorDash bought it, now leads DoorDash International.
"The Middle East is an important region for Deliveroo and one where we see significant long-term opportunity," Kuusi said. He added that Hadjiaslanis "brings strong experience in scaling consumer and marketplace businesses" and that he is pleased to have him lead the next phase of growth, "building on the strong foundations we have in place."
Competing for Gulf Appetites
Deliveroo operates in markets including the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. There, it goes head to head with well funded rivals such as Talabat, Careem and Noon Food for restaurant partners, riders and repeat customers.
Under DoorDash, Deliveroo's Middle East strategy now sits with an executive who has spent his career competing in exactly these kinds of on demand markets.
