Careem empowers Egyptian women drivers

CAIRO – 1 November 2017: In support of 2017 being the “Year of Egyptian Women,” Careem has been a frontrunner for gender equality with the largest number of female captains. Many of them are not only based in Cairo and Alexandria; Delta and Canal governorates have also seen an increase in the number of female captains.

“Supporting women and providing them with reliable means of transportation and job opportunities has always been one of our main objectives. While the current number of female captains is relatively small compared to our overall captain fleet, we are proud of this growing initiative and our support and encouragement of women as they seek to build their own lives,” Ramy Kato, managing director of Careem Egypt, stated in a press release.

According to The Reality of Small and Medium Enterprises 2009-2015, a study by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) issued in September 2016, Egyptian women are the heads of almost 18 percent of households. While women make up to 50 percent of the population, they constitute less than a quarter of the country’s labor force.

“Careem provided me with a flexible source of income in addition to my current job and helped me better support my family,” said Omaima Abdel Maboud, a mother of two based in Tanta. “My daughter and I are both Careem captains and I was encouraged to join Careem based on her recommendation. Most of the customers were of great support to me and I call on all Egyptian women to find a job that suits their needs and schedule similar to the opportunity Careem offered me.”

Egypt is just one example of Careem’s journey to support women. In KSA, Careem has created many jobs for females in its women-only call center in the Kingdom. In addition, following King Salman’s decree allowing women to drive for the first time, Careem announced its plans to hire up to 100,000 female captains in the Kingdom.

Careem is the region’s lead ride-hailing service that provides reliable, safe and affordable transportation choices via a mobile app, on the web and through a call center. Established in July 2012, Careem operates in more than 80 cities across 13 countries in the broader Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Pakistan. Careem’s fleet in Egypt consists of 80,000 Captains across 14 cities.


Careem operates in more than 80 cities across 13 countries in the broader Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Pakistan - Photo courtesy of Careem