Saudi car-hire app ready to dominate women’s driving market

Careem was among the first to show support for women Captainahs, tweeting a video to commemorate the historical announcement. (Courtesy: The Independent)

JEDDAH: Leading car-hailing firm Careem has had its eyes set on women from the get-go. The company took the initiative to support women’s driving, announcing it was accepting women’s applications for driving positions through its Twitter account only a few days after the ban was lifted, and it continues to do so today.
Careem’s Eastern Province General Manager Iyad Aldalooj told Arab News everything women need to know to start working as Captainahs (female Captains) by June.
“From the very first moment, we’ve displayed our willingness to welcome ladies in our platform, and we’ve started training and on-boarding the Captainahs to work for Careem through our office in Alkhobar 14 days after the royal decree was issued. We are working to continue training females in the upcoming months in preparation to launch services dedicated to ladies and families only. Our goal is to register more than 10,000 Captainahs before then,” he said, adding that the company has received applications from thousands of females hoping to work for Careem, especially in major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
“The majority of our Captains, as to be expected, are young,” he revealed, giving a general idea on a typical Saudi Captain. “We have a remarkable number of retirees working with us, however. There are some who operate for more than eight hours a day, and we’re truly proud of that.”
“Today, we have more than 100,000 Saudi Captains. The large and increasing number of entrants is due to the fact that they can work any time in a platform that provides Captains with an additional income, not to mention the incentives and rewards we offer them. A small example is the new car we’ve introduced to the ‘Captain of the Month’ in Jeddah. These opportunities aren’t offered elsewhere.”
Some of the incentives Careem offers to motivate Captains and ensure limiting the number of dropouts include daily guarantees, according to Aldalooj. “We secure a fixed salary if the Captain works within a specified period in his city, based on market forecasts.”
Careem also offers many bonuses in cooperation with their partners, such as discounts offered to the Captains and their families.
On the process of becoming a Captain, Aldalooj said: “Candidates apply through an online application and then receive extensive training in customer service, Careem’s system and laws, with an emphasis on local traffic regulations. Before any Captain starts working for us, we collect their personal documents; check security records with governmental agencies, the vehicle’s validity and papers. We take pride in being the only platform in the region that undergoes such a process.”
In order to prevent any cases with regards to some Captains allowing strangers drive in their stead, Careem has partnered with “Digital Barriers” for its facial recognition technology to be incorporated in the Captain app, ensuring that the actual driver matches the authorized and accredited Captain.