It’s Like Uber Eats But for Israeli Arabs Without Home Addresses

Pulling off a successful meal-delivery app means overcoming a host of challenges, whether it’s leaky containers, tepid food or delivery fees that can cost more than the main course. But that’s nothing compared to what Hasan Abasi’s startup deals with: Many of his Israeli Arab customers don’t have home addresses.

In the dozens of underserved Arab communities across northern Israel where Abasi’s DoorDash-like delivery startup Haat operates, there aren’t always street names or apartment numbers. The kind of directions residents often give one another—“go to the first traffic circle, turn right at the bakery, continue past the mosque to the house with the green gate”—can stump couriers. It’s one of the reasons bigger delivery companies haven’t tried to launch their services in these towns, where the app’s red-and-yellow logo is practically ubiquitous.