Short answer: For the Middle East (MENA) today, Talabat is generally the stronger/“better” option for most users — especially for breadth of coverage, number of restaurants, grocery/quick-commerce options and local market leadership. Zomato has a much smaller delivery footprint in the region (and in some countries stopped delivery operations). (corporate.Talabat.com)

Why — key points with sources and dates

• Market leadership and scale: Talabat is widely reported as the leading on‑demand delivery platform across the GCC and MENA, with the UAE as a core market and millions of active users. Talabat published strong results for 2024 and early‑2025 and completed a high‑profile Dubai listing in late 2024 — evidence of its scale and investment in the region. (corporate.Talabat.com)
• Market share and local dominance: Government/industry reports and coverage have shown Talabat holding very large shares in UAE city markets (e.g., Dubai) and strong growth in GMV and revenue through 2024–2025. That translates into more restaurants, frequent promotions and fast expansion of grocery/quick‑commerce services. (CatererMiddleEast.com)
• Zomato’s MENA footprint (reduced): Zomato exited or substantially reduced its app-based delivery operations in the UAE in late 2022 (customers were routed to Talabat) and its delivery presence in the region is much smaller than Talabat’s. Zomato remains stronger as a restaurant discovery/reviews platform in some markets, but its delivery network in MENA is limited compared with Talabat. (Zomato continues to be major in India; the MENA delivery story is different.) (Inventiva.co.in)
• Product differences: Talabat in MENA has expanded beyond restaurant deliveries into grocery/quick commerce (Instashop acquisition noted in 2025 reporting), which increases utility for users who want grocery and convenience alongside food delivery. Zomato’s strengths historically include restaurant discovery, reviews and loyalty programs (in markets where it operates heavily). (corporate.Talabat.com)
• User sentiment varies by city: Some consumers preferred Zomato’s UX and service where it existed, so perceptions of “better” can be personal (UI, customer service, promos). But on objective measures (coverage, number of restaurants, market share, grocery options) Talabat is the dominant regional choice. (Reddit.com)

What that means practically

• If you live in or are ordering in UAE, Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Egypt or Iraq: Talabat will usually offer more restaurants, tighter delivery coverage, grocery/quick‑commerce options and more local promos. (corporate.Talabat.com)
• If you value restaurant discovery, detailed reviews or features you know from Zomato in India, check whether those Zomato features are available in the specific MENA city you’re in — in many places its delivery presence is limited or absent. (Inventiva.co.in)

Bottom line

• For most Middle East customers today, Talabat is the more practical and feature‑rich delivery choice because of its scale and local dominance. Zomato’s delivery presence in the region is limited and in some markets was discontinued in late 2022, though Zomato still has strengths in restaurant discovery where it operates. (corporate.Talabat.com)

If you want, tell me which country/city you care about and I’ll pull up the current app availability, key differences (delivery fees, typical delivery times, number of restaurants) for that market.