Careem, the region's leading app-based car booking service, has strengthened its position in Saudi Arabia by growing its presence in the majority of its cities. Careem, which operated in just 3 cities in Saudi Arabia 3 years ago, has today grown to 22 cities in in the Kingdom, while simultaneously expanding its services to cover 21 other cities and 10 countries in the Middle East, North African and South Asia. Within Saudi, the app-based service is now available in Abha, Ahad Rufaidah, Al-Hofuf, Al-Kharj, Al Mubarraz, Ar Rass, Buraydah, Dammam, Dhahran, Diriyah, Unaizah, Jeddah, Jizan, Jubail, Khamis Mushait, Al-Khobar, Makkah, Madinah, Qatif, Riyadh, Ta'if and Yanbu. In an announced partnership with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage, Careem envisages expansion to at least 6 more cities by the end of the year, making transportation choices more accessible to all customers by 2017. Commenting on the success, Dr. Abdulla Elyas, Co-founder and Managing Director, Careem Saudi Arabia, said "Careem's mission is to make people's lives simpler by providing a variety of transportation solutions and that is exactly what we've focused on doing in KSA for the past two years. We've built a strong brand and customer base since our launch because we've always kept the Saudi users' best interests first, paying attention to their needs and those of our beloved captains." In May, Careem became one of the first car hailing companies in Saudi Arabia to be awarded a license to operate by the Ministry of Transport, underlining the company's vision and commitment to the country. This was reiterated this month as Careem signed an MOU with Bab Rizq Jameel, a Community Jameel initiative, to provide employment and training opportunities for Saudi citizens, primarily in the public and private limousine sector. The partnership is in line with Saudi Arabia's ‘Vision 2030' which aims for a prosperous economy by making the most of the Saudi peoples' potential and adopting the culture of freelance work. Careem aims not only to strengthen its presence in KSA, which is one of its major markets, but also to improve the standard of living as seen through the launch of "Careem One", a first-of-its-kind service launched together with the Ministry of Labor for people with special needs. "We look forward to continuously working with the Saudi government and growing together in harmony, to better the transportation infrastructure in the region," added Dr. Abdulla Elyas. — SG
