Careem’s drivers are “in grave danger of losing everything”, the ride-hailing company's chief executive wrote in an open letter that appealed to governments, potential employers, lenders and individuals to offer a lifeline amid economic hardship linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The state of the business is evident by looking at the streets," Mudassir Sheikha, the chief executive and co-founder told The National.
Across the 13 countries where Careem operates, the company estimates that 500,000 of its 1.3 million registered ‘captains’, what it calls drivers, earn a full-time living from the job, based on data from its platform.
Those half a million people are seeing their earnings dwindle amid stay-home orders as governments seek to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Careem estimates each captain needs about $500 (Dh1836) a month to make ends meet - or a total of $250 million per month to keep every full-time captain in need afloat.
This represents “a fairly large financial gap that no single company can handle on its own”, Mr Sheikha said. He and other Careem executives have foregone their salaries for the year to support drivers. The company declined to disclose the sum.
The appeal echoes parent company Uber’s chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who last week asked US President Donald Trump to include gig workers in relief measures.
Uber, which acquired Careem for $3.1 billion last year, has fought in several jurisdictions to keep its workers classified as contractors, avoiding expenses like health insurance and paid time off. Still, Mr Khosrowshahi asked the Trump administration and Congress to consider changing labour laws to provide a “third way” to classify workers “to remove the forced choice between flexibility and protection”.
His request was heeded. The US government included financial assistance to gig workers, including Uber employees, in its historic $2 trillion economic relief package. Under the provisions, they can apply for unemployment benefits and are eligible for a weekly stipend in federal support for up to four months.
The safety net Careem is attempting to provide to drivers will be more piecemeal, given the diversity of nations where it operates. Mr Sheikha asked governments in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan to include gig economy workers in their economic relief plans and consider how they may play a role in public health efforts.
It also appealed to lenders to consider how they might offer temporary relief to those with car or home loans. Careem itself is looking for ways to shore up lost income for its drivers.
“There is a big push from our side,” Mr Sheikha said.
Its tech team of 500 people - spread across Berlin, Egypt, Dubai, Karachi and Lahore - are working to roll out services that are relevant to the current moment.
If anything, the current crisis has hastened the development of new products at Careem to meet new, pent-up demand for grocery and e-commerce deliveries as people adjust to life indoors for the time being. Ride-hailing drivers in Saudi Arabia and Jordan recently woke up to an app update allowing them to opt into becoming delivery drivers. Some have become pickers at grocery stores.
The company also sees potential in more government partnerships.
Careem is working with health ministries across its service areas to expand pharmaceuticals delivery services.
The ‘Essentials’ offering, made available in Jordan in recent days, is another example. Users can order groceries and medicines by sending notes to captains and identifying the shop and home where it should be delivered.
Careem is also in talks to be the transport service of choice for clinicians to deliver immunisations at homes when a Covid-19 vaccine becomes widely available, according to a Careem spokesman.
In January, Mr Sheikha outlined a $50 million expansion strategy to The National, with plans to debut more delivery and financial services this year through a "super app".
The app, meant to come out this summer, will be ready in the next few weeks in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. From the app, users will be able to do a host of things: book rides, schedule grocery or food deliveries, top up prepaid phones, pay utility bills and initiate peer-to-peer payments.
As for the future of the gig economy, whose vulnerabilities have been exposed in recent months, Mr Sheikha acknowledged “the short-term is very painful”.
With “the offline world” off limits these days, he predicted this will make for a more digitally-savvy population in the long-term. This will be a good thing, he said, for both Careem and its captains.
How%20I%20connect%20with%20my%20kids%20when%20working%20or%20travelling
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
FA CUP FINAL
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E353hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh408%2C200%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Barings Bank
Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal.
Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson.
Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
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