Director Public Policy & Government Affairs Dubai UAE Full-time

This role leads talabat’s regulatory and government engagement across priority GCC and MENA markets, shaping policy frameworks for competition, platform regulation, labour models, consumer protection, and digital policy. You will engage directly with ministers, regulators, competition authorities, and senior civil servants to influence outcomes that protect business growth, market structure, and investor confidence. Consequently, your strategic advocacy will position talabat as a credible, long‑term partner to public institutions while anticipating policy risk and advising C‑suite leadership on regulatory escalations and crisis response.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead engagement with government entities, regulators, competition authorities, and public sector stakeholders across the GCC and MENA region.
• Shape and influence policy and regulatory frameworks impacting competition, pricing, platform regulation, labour and workforce models, consumer protection, and digital, data, and sustainability policy.
• Develop and execute policy and advocacy strategies aligned with business priorities, therefore representing talabat in industry associations, councils, and working groups.
• Anticipate regulatory and political risks, advising senior leadership on timing, likelihood, and impact to protect operational continuity.
• Support crisis response and regulatory escalations that affect operations, partnering closely with Communications, Legal, Operations, Finance, and Strategy teams.
• Act as an internal centre of excellence for government engagement and public policy standards, coaching market teams on effective and compliant government relations.
• Monitor and analyse regulatory trends, then translate them into actionable insights for business decision‑making.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior government officials, ensuring talabat’s voice is heard in policy discussions.

Requirements & Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in public policy, government affairs, regulatory strategy, or public sector leadership.
• Demonstrated success influencing policy or regulatory outcomes in the GCC and/or wider MENA region.
• Hands‑on experience engaging with ministers, regulators, senior civil servants, and competition authorities.
• Background in highly regulated sectors such as technology platforms, telecoms, mobility, energy, financial services, or similar.
• Strong understanding of how regulation impacts growth, margins, market structure, and investor confidence.
• Credible, discreet, and trusted at senior levels, with the judgement to operate in politically sensitive environments.
• Executive presence, clear communication style, and confidence to challenge constructively.
• Fluency in verbal and written English and Arabic is mandatory.
• Experience working in or alongside multinational or regional businesses is a strong advantage.

What You’ll Gain

• Opportunity to shape regulatory frameworks for talabat, the leading on‑demand delivery platform in the region, backed by Delivery Hero – a global leader operating in 70+ countries and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
• Competitive tax‑free monthly salary (AED 50,000–70,000) plus housing allowance, private medical insurance, annual flight allowance, and end of service gratuity.
• Direct exposure to C‑suite decision‑making, leading high‑stakes government engagements that define the future of platform regulation in the GCC and MENA.
• Senior leadership role with autonomy to build and execute advocacy strategies, supported by a collaborative cross‑functional team.