Elmenus Appoints Walid El-Saadany as CEO

Economic Key

4 days ago

Elmenus, Egypt's leading food-tech platform, has announced the appointment of Walid El-Saadany as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors, succeeding founder Amir Allam, who will continue to serve on the Board. This leadership transition marks a defining moment for Elmenus as it accelerates into a new era of nationwide expansion, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and deeper restaurant ecosystem enablement.
'Elmenus is at an inflection point,' Walid El-Saadany stated. 'We're entering a new chapter, one rooted in local relevance and powered by world-class execution. We aim to become more than a food delivery platform; we are building an ecosystem that empowers Egyptian talent, supports small businesses, and leads the country's digital transformation'.
After 14 years of founding Elmenus, Amir Allam shared: 'What began 2011 with $5,000, a laptop and two teammates, became a household brand that impacted millions of users, created jobs for tens of thousands, and brought lasting positive change to an entire industry.
It is now the right time to pass the baton as the company enters a new phase of sustainable growth building on the brand's strong foundations and loyal customers. I remain fully committed as a Board member and advocate of our mission to elevate Egypt's food industry'.
Elmenus: A Success Story Spanning Over 12 Years
Founded in 2011, Elmenus has grown into one of the leading food discovery and ordering platforms in the region. Under the leadership of Founder and CEO Amir Allam for the past 12 years, the company has experienced significant growth and profitability trajectories.
In the past 12 months alone, more than 8.5 million unique users engaged with the platform across four major cities, exploring millions of dishes from over 12,000 restaurant partners. Of these, more than 1,000 restaurants are currently live for online ordering.
Elmenus has raised $30 million in funding to date, backed by prominent investors including Careem, Global Ventures, Algebra Ventures, and former Just Eat CEO David Buttress.
A New Era Led by a Visionary Operator
With nearly two decades of experience spanning entrepreneurship, logistics, venture capital, and platform scaling, Walid El-Saadany brings a uniquely balanced perspective to Elmenus. He played a pivotal role in shaping Egypt's online food delivery sector, having led Otlob through two of the industry's most significant acquisitions—first by Foodpanda, followed by a strategic deal with Delivery Hero, which rebranded the platform as Talabat. These milestones highlight El-Saadany's leadership in navigating major business transformations and steering companies through critical phases of growth and evolution.
Elmenus: Powering Egypt's Food-Tech Future
Elmenus is charting a bold new course to shape Egypt's food-tech landscape—powered by local talent, smart technology, and a deep commitment to inclusion.
Under CEO Walid El-Saadany, the platform is scaling beyond Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria, onboarding over 4,000 restaurants across underserved cities and towns. It's also enhancing the app with AI-driven features—smarter discovery, faster delivery, and real-time tracking—to create a more personalized and efficient user experience.
Walid El-Saadany adds: 'It's not just about expansion, but about going deeper—enhancing service quality and approaching the local market more effectively.'
A core focus is investing in Egyptian talent. From developers to delivery riders, Elmenus is building future-ready teams through upskilling programs and leadership training—helping Egypt compete globally in the digital economy.
The platform provides comprehensive support to its restaurant partners through advanced digital tools, loyalty programs designed to boost engagement, and analytical dashboards that drive sustainable growth. It also plans to launch a range of social initiatives, including empowering women to establish and manage independent community kitchens, supporting and enabling youth in the tech sector, and promoting greater inclusion of delivery riders within the ecosystem—reinforcing Elmenus' position as a brand with genuine social impact.
Food Meets Tourism and Financial Inclusion
As Egypt's tourism sector grows, Elmenus offers visitors a convenient gateway to local cuisine—from street food gems to fine dining—delivered seamlessly. The platform also expands access to digital payments, supporting Egypt's cashless transformation with bank cards, wallets, and fintech integrations.
AI at the Core
By harnessing AI, Elmenus optimizes prep times, pricing, and food discovery—empowering restaurants and delighting users.
'We're not just delivering food,' says El-Saadany. 'We're delivering opportunity—for people, partners, and communities.'
As Egypt's leading homegrown food delivery platform, Elmenus stands out for its local-first ethos, fair partnerships, and tech-driven approach—building not just a company, but a food-tech movement that matters.
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