Food delivery company talabat said on Monday that it has resumed services in Qatar after it was temporarily suspended last week by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for providing "false and misleading" information to customers.
The company, which was subject to a "temporary administrative closure" from September 10, has worked closely with authorities throughout the process and implemented internal measures and product enhancements, it said in a statement to the Dubai Financial Market, where its shares trade.
Talabat has assessed the direct financial impact of the temporary closure and determined it to be immaterial, it said. It will continue to monitor and evaluate any potential indirect financial implications that may arise over time.
"Talabat remains committed to supporting its customers, partners and riders, and is proactively working to address any impacts from this temporary disruption of service," it added.
Qatar's Ministry of Commerce and Industry had ordered the platform's closure for a week after finding the company in violation of the law on consumer protection and its executive regulations.
"The decision was made due to repeated violations and multiple substantiated complaints against the company, including the display or description of goods with false or misleading information, which deceived consumers and unlawfully obtained their money, as well as failure to provide guaranteed service," the ministry said last week.
The practices "constitute an infringement of consumer rights", it added.
The ministry said the move was part of its continuing efforts to strengthen market oversight and ensure regulatory compliance by service providers. It stressed that it will not tolerate any violations that may harm consumer rights or negatively affect the business environment in the country.
Founded in 2004, talabat offers on-demand delivery of food, groceries, and other products from restaurants and retailers in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iraq.
A subsidiary of Germany's food delivery platform Delivery Hero, talabat raised Dh7.5 billion ($2.04 billion) through its initial public offering on the DFM in December. In March, talabat also completed the acquisition of Dubai-based grocery platform instashop from Delivery Hero for $32 million under a common control transaction.
Talabat reported 35 per cent revenue growth annually in the second quarter to $982 million, with net income up 33 per cent to $119 million. Gross merchandise value (GMV), a key metric which refers to the total value of good sold through the platform, grew 32 per cent annually in the April to June period to reach $2.4 million. The results came on the back of double-digit growth in its core Gulf market and food vertical, and faster growth in non-Gulf markets, talabat said.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Factfile on Garbine Muguruza:
Name: Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
World ranking: 15 (will rise to 5 on Monday)
Date of birth: October 8, 1993
Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
Place of residence: Geneva, Switzerland
Height: 6ft (1.82m)
Career singles titles: 4
Grand Slam titles: 2 (French Open 2016, Wimbledon 2017)
Career prize money: $13,928,719
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