Uber records over 31mln riders in Mena since launch

Uber, a global taxi-hailing app, said that over 31 million riders took trips using the app since it launched in Mena in a new report.

According to the report titled “Uber Mena: 2021 in Numbers”, 703,000 drivers in Egypt, 530,000 drivers in Saudi Arabia and 18,000 drivers in the UAE made a trip since launch using the Uber app.

The roll out of vaccines and relaxing of some restrictions over the course of the year, meant that international travel became an option again for many. Uber also saw an increase in the number of people commuting into offices and places of work again – in fact, 6:00pm in the UAE was when drivers received the most trip requests, as the workday ends and offices clear out, it said.

Some of Uber’s key travel trends from 2021:

• The year’s #1 rider: A rider in Saudi Arabia topped the charts with an impressive 1,706 trips this year - taking on average 4 trips a day!

• The year’s #1 driver: Drivers have been busy too, with the top drivers making thousands of trips through the app, such as 7,613 in the Eastern Province in KSA, 6,978 in Cairo, and 4,244 in Dubai.

• Uber Bus: Reaching another milestone, Uber Bus witnessed growth of 2.4x compared to 2020 as it continued to facilitate affordable trips for commuters across Cairo.

• Vaccination-bound: supporting the community through the pandemic, riders have taken more than 126,355 free or discounted trips through the app to and from Covid-19 vaccination centers.

• International jet-setters: 2021 saw the rebirth of travelling and, from Los Angeles to Sydney, people around the world love to use Uber when abroad. People from 80 countries used the Uber app while visiting Egypt and from 84 countries while visiting the UAE.

• Tourist traps: The tourist hot spots in the Middle East were popular trip destinations, with 14,747 trips to the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, was also popular, racking up 319,596 trips. The Boulevard in Riyadh is also one of the top destinations in KSA.

• Evening festivities: As restrictions eased, riders enjoyed the revival to their social lives, with Zamalek ranking as the #1 nightlife destination in Egypt with 669,222 trips.

• Drivers across Mena received 109,541,802 5-star rated trips, which translated into tipping, with an 80% increase on tipping in Mecca, compared to 2020.

One of Uber’s key priorities in 2022 will be to support the mobility technology industry to recover and grow as we work to achieve our overarching vision of a convenient, smart and sustainable mobility ecosystem.

“We will continue to be bold, using Uber’s technology merged with our hyperlocal approach to innovate faster. We are more focused than ever on making Uber the best platform for earners while also championing women empowerment across the region, through initiatives such as Wusool, Uber’s largest subsidized program globally,” Uber said in the report.

“Riders remain a key focus, as we look to facilitate more ridesharing options, features and even more advanced safety. We will continue to innovate with new products and initiatives that help move us, together with strategic partners, governments, drivers and, of course, riders as we work to make the Uber app an essential part of everyday life.”