Saudi transport ministry adopts smart apps to regulate vehicles

Careem, the largest vehicle redirecting service provider via smart applications in the MENA region, received the license to redirect vehicles from the Ministry of Transport in Saudi Arabia after fulfilling all the Ministry’s requirements.

The Ministry had started recently a process aimed at regulating this sector and put in place the necessary terms and conditions required to obtain an official license to operate within Saudi Arabia.

Accordingly, technology companies must pass numerous requirements to obtain the needed official documentation or otherwise be denied from operating in the event of failure to fulfill these terms and conditions. Careem is one of the first technology companies to get this license.

Dr. Abdullah Elyas, co-founder and CEO of Careem Saudi Arabia, pointed out that Careem team stays committed to work in compliance with all applied regulations and laws in the Kingdom and all other cities covered by Careem’s services.

“We were keen to work closely with the Ministry’s team to understand license’s requirements and ensure that our operations meet them in order to provide a safe and comfortable service for the passengers with a high level of reliability. We place security and safety of all our passengers at the forefront of our priorities,” he said.

Careem operates in 10 cities within Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, AlMadinah AlMonawara, Dammam, Al-Khobar, Jubail, Dhahran, Al-Qasseem and Al-Ahsa.

Careem’s service allows users to order vehicles through smart applications by booking the vehicle for a specific time and date (LATER) or order them immediately to the location of the user. This service offers a convenient way for a large segment of working women and female university students who choose Careem services due to the convenience we offer and its reliability and safety.

The company, supported by Venture Capital Fund Venture, a subsidiary of Saudi Telecom and AlTayyar Travel Group Holdings with a fastest-growing technology company award, still achieves monthly growth rates of 30% on average in the Middle East.

This article first appeared in the Saudi Gazette on June 15, 2016.