The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a fresh challenge for urban transit: Helping people resume their normal lives without risking an unrestrained COVID-19 flare-up or a return to congested streets.
One technology giant that has reimagined its business model in light of the “new normal” is Uber.
“Take UberMedics as an example. COVID-19 has posed an enormous challenge to healthcare workers, who’ve been at the heart of the battle to flatten the curve. With the pandemic restricting mobility, we needed to innovate and design a solution that facilitated mobility for these frontline heroes, giving them a safe and reliable way of getting around,” said Mohammed Gazzaz, general manager for Uber in Saudi Arabia.
Back in May 2020, Uber launched UberMedics in Saudi Arabia as part of its global commitment to Move What Matters, providing healthcare workers across Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Eastern Province with 25 percent off their Uber trips to and from their workplaces. To date, the initiative has offered more than 4,000 free trips to healthcare workers in the Kingdom and across the region.
The need for flexibility and reliability in day-to-day travel is now more desired than ever before, Gazzaz said. According to Uber data, recovery in Saudi Arabia is being driven by domestic travel, which Gazzaz is hopeful will accelerate even further in the coming months. Another interesting trend is the need for low-cost options. “People in the current context are looking for more economic ways of transportation and this is particularly true for frontline workers who have returned to work as things ease up,” he added.
The general manager also highlighted the company’s focus on hiring Saudi talent. “We continue to play an active role as an economic contributor in Saudi Arabia, helping to create part-time work across many segments of the population and boosting Saudization,” said Gazzaz.
Since 2018, more than 200,000 Saudi nationals have joined the Uber platform, beating the company’s initial goal to reach 100,000 by 2020.
Uber also introduced the “Women Preferred View” in 2018 — a feature to give female drivers in Saudi Arabia the choice to select a preference for female riders. This is part of the “Masaruky” initiative, which Uber launched in partnership with Al-Nahda in 2017.
In November 2019, the first 180 female drivers who earned their licenses via the Masaruky program celebrated their achievement at a special ceremony in Riyadh. Last year, Uber provided Al-Nahda beneficiaries with more than 10,000 free trips.
Commenting on Uber’s future ambitions, Gazzaz said the company is working toward building an advanced mobility system for the region, stressing that Saudi Arabia will continue to play a major role in its regional growth and expansion plans. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve innovated with solutions like Uber Connect, Uber Direct, and Uber By the Hour — moving what matters at a critical time and creating additional earning opportunities for drivers. We now need to assess the value of these solutions in a post-pandemic world.”
