Dubai-based ride-hailing firm Careem has announced the launch of its services in the cities of Gaza and Nablus in Palestine.
According to the firm, hundreds of Captains have already enrolled in the Careem platform to be able to provide modern transportation services in the two cities.
The fleet in Gaza includes licenced private cars by the authorities and Careem will be operating with Taxis in Nablus. The strategy of the company in both cities will help provide state of the art transportation services while also improving the Taxi industry.
“We are excited to expand our mission in Palestine to Gaza and Nablus, two cities with significant untapped potential for mobility and youth employment,” said Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and co-founder, Careem .
He noted that Careem’s objective in Palestine is to simplify the lives of people through an advanced mobility infrastructure, create tens of thousands of income-generating opportunities for local youth, and hopefully inspire other regional businesses to expand to Palestine.
With an expected rise of over 5000 Captains in Palestine within the next three years, Careem aims to present tremendous opportunities for all eligible youth and taxi drivers in Nablus and Gaza in joining the Careem fleet.
The firm’s managing director of Emerging Markets Ibrahim Manna, said, “Careem takes pride in serving Palestine, as part of its overall commitment to expanding its services to the rest of Palestinian Governorates – a dedication also backed by the interest of its customers in Ramallah City during its soft launch stage. This opportunity coincides with an important development in a neighboring country, Jordan, following the statement issued by the Jordanian Prime Ministry authorising Careem to operate in the country.”
Mann highlighted that the company is in working closely with the Minister of Transportation, the Palestinian Government to ensure that they provide the best quality of service in Gaza and Nablus.
“We’re delighted to be implementing smart and safe transportation services for the people of Palestine,” said Manna. “With Careem services now in Gaza and Nablus, customers can benefit from our smart app and will be able to know the cost of their ride through a fare estimator. Our customers will also be able to track their ride via the Careem app GPS technology, being able to share it with their family and friends. This is important for us and safety is a key priority at Careem, for our customer, colleagues and Captains.”
With a diverse array of high-profile investors such as Kingdom Holding, Daimler and Rakuten amongst others, Careem hopes to accelerate growth and innovation within Palestine, a market it believes to have significant untapped potential.
“We believe innovation is best delivered through partnership between the public and private sectors which is why we are pleased to work with taxi drivers in Palestine as they are the backbone of the transportation sector in Palestine especially given their exceptional experience in providing transportation services in difficult and unstable conditions,” Manna added.
