The Last Link: Careem Finally Expands To Palestine- Valutrics

Dubai-based taxi hailing app Careem has expanded its operations to Palestine.

The launch is designed to support Palestine’s tech ecosystem and alleviate local transport issues, it said.

Careem’s operations in the country will begin in Ramallah from June 15. It plans to extend into other Palestinian cities in the near future.

Launched in 2012 by Sheikha and fellow McKinsey Co alumni Magnus Olsson, Careem has a fleet of more than 250,000 drivers as of date. It also claims to have more than six million users registered through its mobile app.

Its largest markets are Cairo, Karachi, and Riyadh.

Careem’s operations have grown to 80 cities since it started operations five years ago. It competes across the MENA region with US-based ride-sharing app Uber and other apps.

In February, Careem re-launched operations in Abu Dhabi, roughly six months after the app and rival Uber halted services in the city.

Careem and Uber and stopped operating in Abu Dhabi in August 2016.

In December last year, Careem said it plans to increase presence in 15 more cities in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan.

Within GCC, Careem is extending its presence to six more cities in Saudi Arabia, the firm’s largest market.

In Egypt, the app will expand to three more cities, while in Pakistan, where the company acquired ride-hailing startup Savaree earlier in 2016, users can expect increased access to its services.

Careem also expanded to Turkey recently. In Turkey, initially, the ride-sharing firm began serving users in the cities of Istanbul, Ataturk and Sabiha.

The ride-hailing firm also said it plans a foray into East Africa.