Desert heat lights a fire under Dubai’s food delivery market

Leaving the office for a bite to eat isn’t simple when temperatures outside hit 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). What will cook first: you or your lunch?

This is the reality for workers in Dubai during the summer months. It’s no wonder that for a lot of people, lunch comes to them.

“May onwards to about September, (Dubai is) unwalkable,” Anis Harb, general manager of the Middle East division of Deliveroo, tells CNN. “So people have become very, very pro (…) delivery.”

In Dubai, Exponent Technology Services trialed food delivery by drone, flying out 900 burgers in just one day. It's one of a number of companies looking for new ways to integrate drones into everyday life.

Scroll through to discover more innovative drones around the world.

Parrot Bebop Pro Thermal —

Parrot's thermal edition drone can provide a live feed identifying heat signatures, such as those given off by a human body, or the hot spots of a burning building. As an inspection tool manually controlled by humans, it can be used by first-responders and in disaster-relief efforts. Read more.

JEM Internal Ball —

No gravity? No problem. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's JEM Internal Ball was dispatched to the International Space Station in June 2017 to take photos and videos of astronauts at work. If that sounds like vanity, it's estimated ISS occupants spend approximately 10% of their working hours photographing their findings. Read more.

Ambulance Drone —

Capable of speeds of 100 kmph (62 mph), Delft Technical University's ambulance drone prototype carries a defibrillator which can be dispatched for use in the event of a heart attack. Read more.

Plan Bee —

Honeybee decline is a worrying issue, integral as they are to pollination. Industrial design major Anna Haldewang has developed a drone called Plan Bee, which mimics the action of a bee, sucking pollen from one plant and expelling it onto others to enable cross-pollination. Read more.

The Little Ripper UAV —

In January 2018 in New South Wales, Australia, the Little Ripper UAV proved vital in rescuing two men caught in rough surf. Lifeguards used the drone to drop an inflatable life preserver in minutes, which the swimmers clung on to to make it to shore. Read more.

Mihir Garimella, aged 18, designed an autonomous drone that can maneuver tight spaces and go where humans cannot, with the potential for carrying out missions in disaster zones. Read more.

Airdog ADII —

In extreme sports, headcams are so passé. The Airdog ADII drone will follow riders on snow, water, dirt track -- wherever -- using a GPS-enabled wristband capturing aerial shots while you make your aerial moves. Read more.

Volocopter —

Dubai is a playground for future transport prototypes. The 18-rotor autonomous Volocopter was trialled in the emirate in 2017 and reportedly has a flight time of 30 minutes and cruising speed of 30 mph -- enough to get you from the airport to the Burj Al Arab with time to spare. Read more.

Amazon Prime Air —

Amazon has been making significant headway in drone deliveries, with the first drop in the UK occurring in 2016. In 2017 a patent application emerged showing details of a system for safe air drop in back yards -- even involving tiny parachutes. Read more.

UPS —

Amazon isn't the only delivery company dipping into drones. UPS demonstrated a human-drone tag team system with integrated storage and launch facilities built into one of their iconic brown vans. Read more.

SkyDrive —

Still in development, the SkyDrive from the Cartivator Project, a Tokyo non-profit, hopes to play a key part in the 2020 Olympic Games. With three wheels and four rotors, the car-drone hybrid will hopefully be the vehicle of choice for the lucky individual tasked with lighting the Olympic flame. Read More.

Zipline —

Drone medication delivery in the developing world is an increasingly hot topic. Rwanda has embraced the technology and approved the world's first drone port, while manufacturer Zipline is working with the Ministry of Health to supply pockets of the country with much-needed items -- starting with blood. Read more.

Flirtey —

In Virginia, 2015, an Australian-made Flirtey drone was approved to supplying a rural pop-up clinic with medication. Read more.

Hubsan X4 —

Drone racing is a big deal. It has its own series -- the Drone Racing League -- featured on ESPN, and is a fast-growing sport. The Hubsan X4 has a point-of-view camera and some nifty moves. Read more.

Workhorse SureFly —

With eight rotors and two seats, the SureFly is one of the larger drone taxi prototypes out there. Touted as a replacement for the helicopter, its makers aim for a competitive target price of $200,000. Watch more.

GimBall —

The GimBall won the $1 million first prize in the 2015 "Drones for Good" competition. It is designed to access hard-to-reach areas such as burning buildings and nuclear disaster sites. Its robust outer structure means it is the first "collision-tolerant" drone in the world, according to is creators -- Swiss company Flyability. Read more.

Raining beer —

An ill-feted venture in Minnesota saw ice fishers and local brewers rebuked for using drones to deliver beer cases in 2014. Beer company Lakemaid ran afoul of the Federal Aviation Administration because flying drones for commercial purposes at 400 feet or higher was against the law. Stock up on dry land next time, guys. Read more.

Aerix Aerius —

Manufacturers once boasted of drones that could fit in the palm of your hand. The Aerix Aerius takes that claim to new levels with this, the world's smallest quadcopter at just 1.2-inches wide. Ok, so it might not change your life, but other small drones, like the PD-100 Black Hornet, used by the US military, could. Read more.

Blade Nano QX —

The Blade Nano QX is small by name, small in nature. Without a camera it's one for drone puritans and like Mihir Garimella's Google Science Fair-winning invention, is well equipped to avoid obstacles mid-flight. Read more.

How drones are changing -- and saving -- lives

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There are few corners of the metropolis that delivery services cannot reach: from beachfront to airport departure lounge.

“With food delivery, Dubai is ahead of the curve,” says Harb. “Delivery is more of a lifestyle here, whereas in Europe and other markets it’s a luxury.”

Demand is huge. According to a 2017 report by market research firm KPMG on the food and beverage industry within the UAE, 87% of surveyed food operators are listed on delivery apps. Sixty percent of UAE consumers use an app to order food, say KPMG, compared to just 18% of US consumers using a delivery app or website to place orders, per a 2017 Morgan Stanley report.

“The Middle Eastern consumer spends over a third of their income on transportation and food. So food delivery is a very natural evolution,” argues Zach Finkelstein, vice president of corporate development at ride share app Careem, which has started its own food delivery service having acquired RoundMenu, a restaurant listing and food ordering platform that operates across the Arab world.

Harb explains how in other cities, weekends are often the busiest time, but in Dubai, business is consistent throughout the week – people rely on it daily.

Apps vie for dominance

Careem has millions of customers in the Middle East and is valued at over $1 billion.

Deliveroo also operates in Dubai, and with its “Deliveroo Editions” concept – a shared kitchen hired by multiple eateries, which only does deliveries – is looking to circumvent the traditional restaurant model entirely.

Zomato, UberEats and Talabat are among its competition. As a result, a race for novel ways to deliver has ensued.

One trial by Exponent Technology Services at a corporate event saw over 900 burgers delivered via drone in one day. Talabat, meanwhile, will dispatch a Nando’s to the beach.

So no matter where you are, there’s no excuse for skipping lunch.