Careem expands role of its management team to boost growth

The company will begin to offer financial services over the next two quarters

Careem expanded the role of its management team to boost growth. Bloomberg

Ride hailing app Careem expanded the role of its management team to boost growth across the Middle East and North Africa region, the company said on Thursday.

The role of Ibrahim Manna, managing director of Careem’s developing markets in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Turkey now includes Saudi Arabia, according to the company.

Wael Abou El Ella will lead North African territories including Egypt and Morocco, with market launches planned, whereas Bassel Al Nahlaoui, managing director for the Gulf region will also lead operations in Pakistan. Abdulla Elyas, a co-founder of Careem, becomes the chairman of Saudi Arabia operations.

“Expert and seasoned managing directors will lead expanded geographies and drive growth across new products and services in their respective markets,” the statement said.

The company was recently bought by rival Uber for $3.1 billion (Dh11.39bn) and is going through regulatory approvals in all of the territories where it operates to finalise the deal.

“As we grow and do new things at Careem, it is important for us to keep evolving our leadership structures to best align with opportunities and realities,” Mudassir Sheikha, chief executive and co-founder of Careem said in an email to colleagues.

“This evolution had to kick into high gear to realise our new Vision 2022 and the aspiration to become the region’s everyday Super App.”

“Many of our markets and functions have expanded in scope and size since we last organised them, and it is only prudent that we do a strategic review to set them up for their next phase of crazy growth”.

Over the next two quarters, the business will begin to provide a broader range of services to customers such as financial services and expand the on-demand delivery service.

Last week, the company launched a new ride hailing app, Hala, under a joint venture with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority. More than half of the RTA’s taxi fleet will be available to book through the app by mid-September and all 10,000 taxis will be on the app by the start of next year.