Israeli Delivery App Haat Maps Underserved Arab Towns

Muhammad Hani couldn't order pizza to his home in Acre's historic Old City, where 700-year-old walls meet narrow alleys that delivery drivers refused to navigate. Many Arab citizens of Israel faced the same problem: no addresses, no bank cards, and no way to access the food delivery apps that connected the rest of the country.

Hasan Abasi saw this gap when he returned from working at Google in Switzerland to his hometown of Umm al-Fahm. When his own pizza order went wrong, he realized millions of people were locked out of Israel's booming tech economy.

In 2019, Abasi launched Haat, which means "bring" in Arabic. The app did something radical: it accepted cash payments in a country where most delivery services required credit cards.

That single decision opened doors. In areas where more than 37% of Arab families live in poverty and many don't have bank accounts, cash payments meant access. The feature became so popular that mixed neighborhoods like Jaffa adopted it too.

But Haat's real breakthrough came from solving an invisible problem. Many Arab neighborhoods had no street names or house numbers. Families gave directions using landmarks and local knowledge that outsiders couldn't follow.

Haat turned its couriers into cartographers. Using machine learning, the company tracked delivery routes and mapped previously uncharted streets. Their maps now include 30% more streets in underserved areas than conventional navigation platforms.

The mapping work helped Israel's postal service reach homes that had been nearly impossible to find. Emergency services gained access to neighborhoods they struggled to navigate. The mayor of Umm al-Fahm used Haat's data to support a citywide project naming streets and numbering houses for the first time.

The Ripple Effect

Local restaurants saw the biggest transformation. Small eateries like Krunchy Chicken in Baqa al-Gharbiyye, which once relied on neighborhood word-of-mouth, suddenly reached customers across entire regions. Family-owned shops gained visibility that used to belong only to businesses in wealthier areas.

Haat now works with over 10,000 restaurants and markets across 50 cities. The company employs more than 500 couriers and holds a valuation exceeding $100 million.

Abasi earned a spot on Globes' 40 Under 40 list, recognized as one of Israel's most promising young entrepreneurs. His success came from a simple insight: technology works best when it includes everyone.

For Hani in Acre, the change is personal. He can finally order pizza to his door, just like anyone else in the Startup Nation.