Careem Saudi Arabia publishes independent report showcasing economic and social impact in the Kingdom

Careem Saudi Arabia presents new insights into the impact of its operations in the Saudi market through an independent socioeconomic report developed by Oxford Economics, a world leader in economic forecasting and quantitative analysis.
The report spotlights the impact of Careem’s ride-hailing, food delivery and courier services on economic and social development in the Kingdom in 2019 and illustrates the extent to which Careem was affected by and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Careem launched operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2013, and by 2019, Careem Captains operated in almost 30 Saudi Arabian cities, making it the company’s largest market in terms of number of cities with active operations.
Commenting on the new report, Ghaith Al-Johani, General Manager of Careem in Saudi Arabia, said: “This independent report presents data into the economic and social benefits that Careem’s services have delivered in Saudi Arabia. From increased work flexibility and additional income for Captains, to improved mobility and the simplification of customers’ daily lives, Careem has helped to empower millions of people, increase women’s participation in the labour market, and supported the growth of the transport sector as one of Saudi’s vital industries.”
“We are proud to have contributed to multiple strategic objectives and initiatives within Vision 2030 and are excited to drive even more impact as we further grow our offer in the Kingdom.”
The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Careem’s contributions to serve Captains, customers, colleagues, and local communities in Saudi Arabia.
Captains
Since entering the Saudi market in 2013, Careem has provided job opportunities for more than 100,000 Captains. Nearly one in five of these Captains reported being unemployed before signing up to drive with the company, a figure which rises to almost 30% for Captains aged 25-29.
In 2019, Captains’ earnings (excluding the daily running costs of their vehicles) were estimated to be over $59 million.
Nearly two thirds (64%) of the Saudi Captains surveyed reported that their quality of life had improved as a result of working for Careem. 76% of Saudi Captains had completed post-secondary education and 34% had a university degree.
Customers
Between 2015 and 2019, Careem’s customers in Saudi Arabia completed a total of 185 million trips. Customers cited that reliability and competitive prices were key selling points that made Careem their preferred choice, alongside the company’s strict safety and security standards.
61% of customers surveyed reported that the company’s services have allowed them to participate more in their local communities. The majority of female customers reported using the service to go shopping or to visit friends and relatives while the most popular reasons for men to hail a Careem ride were to go to the airport or train station, or to commute to work.
COVID-19 Impact
Careem’s services were affected by the pandemic as the curfew measures imposed in March 2020 led to a sharp contraction in passenger transport services. The number of active Captains decreased in April 2020 to just over 13,000, representing an 87% reduction from January 2020.
Despite the significant reduction in ride-hailing services, Careem experienced growth in activity over the remainder of the year. From April to December 2020, the number of active Captains increased by 432%, reaching 73,000 at the end of 2020.
In response to the multiple disruptions across sectors caused by the pandemic, Careem focused on strengthening technological capabilities and growing its delivery services, which witnessed significant acceleration during COVID-19. Careem added new stores, pharmacies, and catering centers to its platform to enhance delivery services to cater to basic needs during the curfew period.
Deliveries
In 2019, Careem delivered almost 2 million orders through Careem Box and Careem Food. This meant around four deliveries per minute.
The number of orders delivered by Careem increased by over 150% from 2019 to 2020, with almost 5 million orders delivered during 2020.
During the first quarter of 2021, Careem abandoned delivery commissions and instead set a fixed fee for restaurant merchants. This model helped reduce delivery bills by nearly 50% and increased the number of orders by up to 20% in some restaurants.
Empowering women
In 2017, the Careem Women Empowerment and Engagement Network (CWEEN) was launched, with the aim of ensuring equal job opportunities as well as flexibility and transparency for the company’s female colleagues. More than 2,000 women registered on the platform in the first two weeks following the 2017 royal decree that allowed women to drive in the Kingdom.

In February 2021, Careem joined Wusool, a programme launched by the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) of Saudi Arabia to provide women with safe transportation service to and from their place of work. Through the initiative, Careem offers Saudi women an 80% discount on all their work-related commute trips across 28 cities.

Supporting communities
In addition to the many benefits that Careem provided to Captains, customers, and colleagues the company contributed to local health and safety through a joint initiative with the Saudi Ministry of Health to provide influenza vaccination and discounted trips to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine facilitation in approved health centers.
Careem also partnered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to support people with mobility disabilities through the provision of ‘Careem One’ cars, a fleet of specially-adapted vehicles which cater for passengers with disabilities as well as the elderly.
Another partnership, with the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate, focused on delivering transport services within the historic governorate of Al-Ula.

The Socioeconomic Impact of Careem report developed by Oxford Economics draws on data in the Careem database, as well as surveys and interviews with Captains and Customers.