Careem, the region’s leading multi-service platform, introduces new inter-country rides to and from Dammam and Al-Ahsa to Doha to enable more Saudi customers to travel to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ matches by car.
In preparation for the influx of football fans traveling to Doha for the global event, Careem has steadily expanded its fleet size by 1,000 additional cars over several months. The total number of Careem vehicles in Qatar is expected to grow by more than 50% in time for the World Cup and fleets in neighboring cities have been growing in tandem as well.
Inter-country rides to and from KSA to Qatar will allow residents to book a more affordable and hassle-free travel experience. Customers can book a ride to Doha one day in advance, for a car that can accommodate up to three passengers.
Careem cars at Doha International Airport and Hamad International Airport provide direct access to all eight World Cup stadiums and have dedicated Careem pickup lanes. City-to-city rides are available to those attending multiple matches, and customers in Qatar can take advantage of exclusive packages that allow them to book multiple rides at a discounted price.
Ghaith Al-Johani, General Manager for Careem Saudi Arabia, commented: “We’re so excited to introduce inter-country rides to enable football fans in Saudi to travel to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ matches by car. This will increase the supply of transport options for visitors while also creating even more flexible earning opportunities for Captains.”
Antonio Al Asmar, General Manager of Careem in the GCC, said:“Careem is incredibly proud to support the region’s first World Cup in Qatar. It’s been an honor to work with local and international partners to ensure that residents and tourists can easily travel across countries and cities to experience this global event.”
In celebration of the region’s first World Cup, Careem has partnered with local and international partners to accommodate the large influx of tourists attending the global event. Through its partnership with Grab, Alipay, and Kakao, customers will be able to book Careem rides on their apps through a direct integration with Careem’s app.
Careem will also offer customers a zero-wait-time solution using a One-Time-Password (OTP) code at all eight stadiums. Customers can request their OTP code when adding their pickup spot on the app and will need to provide the code to a Careem Captain by the pickup lane. Dedicated Captains will be waiting at the pickup lanes outside all eight stadiums.
Careem launched its service in Saudi Arabia in 2013, commencing operations in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Dhahran, and Khobar before expanding to reach 29 cities across the Kingdom. Careem has broadened its service offering to customers in Saudi Arabia beyond ride-hailing to also provide food delivery, city-to-city transportation, booking a Covid-19 vaccine, and PCR testing. To date, Careem Captains have completed over 250 million trips. In 2021, earnings for Captains in Saudi Arabia totaled over SAR 430 million ($115 million).
