Careem: Your One-Stop Super App for All Things Daily Life in the Middle East

Mudassir Sheikha is a Pakistani-American who, along with Magnus Olsson, a Swede, who was also a consultant at McKinsey & Company before turning an entrepreneur, founded Careem. They started Careem back in 2012 with the aim of solving the transportation problem in the Middle East. Set for corporate car bookings, the app instantly turned out to be a full-scale ridesharing service. Careem’s ride-hailing service garnered considerable mileage in short-span and turned out to be a favourite across the region.

In March 2019, it was Uber that acquired Careem for $3.1 billion, marking yet another mile stone that saw Careem become the very first unicorn from the Middle East. Even after being acquired, Careem’s vision remained crystal clear: creating a platform for a wide array of everyday needs and thus the Super App by Careem. The company didn’t stop at ride-hailing. Careem Now launched in November 2018-food delivery service, and then grocery deliveries with Careem Quik in 2020-offering fast groceries and essentials delivery with its warehouse infrastructure streamlining services. Till 2022, Careem also launched a digital payment service, Careem Pay, transferring money, paying bills and shopping online by ease.

The Careem Super App became all-in-one for its users as it emerged with everything from bike and car rentals to discounts at restaurants and groceries and even payments for bills and online purchases. In 2023, the Super App was spun off as a separate entity as e& (Etisalat) purchased 50.03% of the shares while Uber still owned the ride-hailing business.

The Careem Super App has transformed how users from the Middle East interact with technology. It is yet another application that brings about multiple services under one platform to make life easy for the individual. For example, a user from Dubai can book rides, order food, get groceries delivered, and digital payments all on one application with just a few taps. Therefore, Careem’s integration of so many services has made it a favourite among busy professionals, students, and families alike. Careem is also heavily invested in social impact initiatives. The company has been a pioneering force when it comes to employing female drivers, particularly in traditionally male markets like Pakistan and Egypt, where women drive for Careem, and in Saudi Arabia, where Careem played a big role in helping to empower women to drive when the country ended its ban on female drivers in 2018.

The journey of Careem is not yet over. The company kept pushing the boundaries where it recently launched a “Flexi Ride” feature in Karachi; it allows riders and drivers to set their own prices. Careem Pay digital wallet services are growing with an increasing number of remittance corridors between the UAE and South Asia. In a bid to solidify its presence in the region, Careem recently announced plans to expand further. From ride provision to money transfers, Careem continues to shape the future of tech in the Middle East and across the world.

Conclusion:

From being a ride-hailing service to a super app, Careem has really grown. That’s the vision, right-from revolutionary thinking to moving forward and doing something for daily needs of millions. Its services, with many initiatives for social impact, and continued expansion make Careem all set to become the first-ever “everything app” in the Middle East. Whether it is a ride or a meal, or it is a fast grocery delivery-all those things are found in Careem’s Super App.