KUWAIT CITY, June 17: It has been said that the misfortune of one person is the gain of another, as manifested in the remarkable increase in the activity of home delivery companies; given the escalation of war in the region between Iran and Israel, with no end in sight at present and amid the state of anticipation and caution among the public.

In a statement to the newspaper, Home Delivery Company Owners Committee Chairman Abdul Aziz Al-Falih disclosed that the increase in activity in this sector has been estimated at 10 percent since the outbreak of the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. He said delivery companies were receiving 300 delivery requests per minute under normal circumstances, but this has now jumped to 330. He pointed out that water and food are the most in-demand commodities in recent days. “Demand for essential items has increased, while the rate of non-essential deliveries has declined,” he added. He went on to say that the number of officially registered home delivery companies is about 1,902, and around 900 of these companies are active and operating nonstop.

He stated that the number of bicycles used for delivery in the local market currently stands at 14,000; along with approximately 25,000 vehicles. He also confirmed that delivery prices have decreased due to the rising number of delivery companies. "Previously, the cost of delivery reached KD3, but with the increase in the number of companies in this field, the fee is now 500 fils or more, depending on the distance and the nature of the restaurants delivering the orders. The delivery market is currently witnessing competition that primarily serves the interests of consumers, while the committee meets monthly for coordination purposes,” he concluded.

Fahad Al-Taraji, CEO of the delivery platform affiliated with Riders -- a delivery company-- confirmed that the delivery market has witnessed an increase in activity since the outbreak of the war; indicating it has increased even more during the current events. He expects increased activity as this sudden crisis continues. He affirmed that the delivery companies in the country are strong and active, stating that the company he manages has a capital of KD1 million and delivers orders at a flat rate of KD1,250 per order from Jahra to Umm Al-Hayman. He said the mission of home delivery companies is to facilitate the process of obtaining a personal delivery representative between individuals and homes, or for the owners of home businesses, regular stores, restaurants, companies in general, or even government institutions, banks and private companies. He said delivery companies also cover remote areas; such as Mutlaa, Sabah Al-Ahmad, Wafra, Khairan, Kabad and others, for only double the price.

He pointed out that before the emergence of his company and other companies operating in the same field; there was a black market for delivery agents, in which the price of delivering an order ranged from KD3 to KD4 for nearby internal areas and KD7 to KD10 for remote areas. “Therefore, the new delivery companies emerged to ease the financial burden on consumers and support productive families, shops, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They aim to market products at better delivery prices; and prevent unlicensed delivery agents from exploiting the delivery market or manipulating it, while preventing unjustified price hikes,” he asserted. He added that the coming period will witness cooperation with the Productive Families and Non-Traditional Crafts Association to open sales windows and support them without collecting fees.

Moneim Qasim, a bicycle delivery representative, said the number of orders increased in recent days; starting Friday afternoon. He added that restaurant orders have decreased, while orders for food items from shopping centers that sell their products online have increased. He added that he used to deliver 15 orders per day, and now the number has reached 23. Adel Al-Zaki, an official at one of the major food shopping centers, stated that shopping through electronic websites are active these days due to the ongoing war between Iran and Israel -- around more than 20 increase in activity.