Amman – Careem, the region’s leading ride-hailing app today announced its commitment to recruit more females to become Captains (Careem refer to drivers as “Captains”) on their platform. Founded in 2012 in Dubai, Careem now has footprint of close to 100 cities across the wider Middle East and some 500,000 Captains signed up to its platform.
Careem currently has female Captains in UAE, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Morocco and Palestine. Despite societal norms of driving being a job associated only with men, Pakistan leads the female fleet in numbers and sees female Captains signed up to drive bikes and rickshaws as well as cars. Following the historical announcement in Saudi Arabia in September 2017 that women would now be allowed to drive, Careem was quick to register more than 2,000 women across Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. With a female-only call centre already operational in Jeddah, Careem will look to launch a female-only training centre in the Kingdom later this year with specialised training materials and women coaches.
Set up to bring about best standards, the Women Captains Committee at Careem will work on a range of projects such as improving experience for female Captains in all markets as well as preparing for female Captains getting set to drive in Saudi. The committee involves Captain Experience, Safety and Security, Social Impact, Sustainability and Supply teams within Careem, who together, will create tailored programmes for female Captains to both attract and retain them. Considering the ongoing instability in certain areas of the region, heightened safety and security measures will be put in place to keep female Captains safe.
Careem will also address the needs of mothers wishing to register on their platform, looking into incentive structures and comfortable, flexible environments for them to work in. The company recognises the economic impact of women, wanting to enable that growth.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and Co-founder of Careem said, “we realise that up until today we have focused our efforts predominantly on attracting and catering to male Captains. It’s time for us and the entire industry to wake up. Not only is there a moral obligation to do so, but there’s also a huge opportunity to grow our business around women and give them the economic opportunity to excel. Women are often the primary breadwinners and looking for alternative, flexible ways to support their families.”
Historically, the ride-hailing industry has addressed males only when it comes to driving opportunities. From today, Careem will use its muscle across a 13 country-wide network to help remove any blockers that are in the way. The company will invest in understanding what it means to be a female captain and adapt the business needs to make Careem an exciting and rewarding income opportunity for them.
About Careem:
Careem is the region’s leading ride-hailing service that provides reliable, safe and affordable transportation choices via a mobile app, on the web and through a call centre. Careem is a pioneer in the region’s ‘sharing economy’ – its mission is to make people’s lives simpler and build an institution that inspires. Established in July 2012, Careem is now the only unicorn in the region and operates in more than 90 cities across 13 countries in the broader Middle East, including North Africa, Turkey and Pakistan. www.careem.com
© Press Release 2018
