• All-inclusive trips from Dubai to Mecca for eight of Careem’s Captains to perform Umrah
  • Captains were also taken on a tour of Mecca to visit religious and cultural heritage sites
  • Travel expenses including flights, hotels, spending money, and city tours were covered by Umrahme and Emirates Islamic

Dubai, UAE: Careem, the region’s leading multi-service app, partnered with Umrahme, an online travel booking platform, and Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE,  to provide Careem’s top performing Captains with all-inclusive trips to perform Umrah ahead of Ramadan in appreciation of their dedication and efforts.

Eight ride hailing and delivery Captains were selected based on their customer rating and total number of completed trips. They had never visited Saudi Arabia before. Umrahme covered flights to and from Dubai Airport (DXB) along with Umrah packages, hotels, and visa expenses. Emirates Islamic covered daily spending money and provided the Captains with a tour of Mecca to visit religious and cultural heritage sites, including Jabal Al Noor, the Hira Cave, Masjid Al-Taneem, and the Hira Cultural District.

Among the chosen Captains was Captain Ajmeer Khan, who has been with Careem for over ten years and always dreamed of seeing the Holy Kaaba.  Captain Shahbaz Mehmood has been with Careem for eight years and had been saving up to go for Umrah with his brother.

Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and Co-founder of Careem commented: “We’re deeply grateful for the generosity of Umrahme and Emirates Islamic in providing Careem Captains with this meaningful trip to Mecca for Umrah. Performing Umrah is a deeply spiritual experience for Muslims around the world as they prepare for Ramadan, and the month of Sha’ban holds great significance for the journey. Captains are the heart and soul of Careem and since many of them prioritize sending their earnings abroad to support their families, we're honored to provide them with this opportunity as a gesture of appreciation for their hard work.”

Mohammed Bin Mahfouz, CEO of Umrahme, responded: "Ramadan is the month of giving and reminds us of the importance of generosity and gratitude. At Umrahme, we're committed to embodying this spirit of giving by honoring these hardworking Captains at Careem with an all-inclusive Umrah trip. As they dedicate themselves to supporting their families and serving the community, we're privileged to support them in their own spiritual journey. This experience distinctly mirrors the ethos that Umrahme upholds, and we are humbled to facilitate their trip for our esteemed partners at Careem.”

Mohamed Al Hadi, Acting Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates Islamic, said: “The Holy month of Ramadan gives us an opportunity to spread joy and cheer in the community, and we were delighted to support Careem in their considerate initiative. Providing deserving Captains with the opportunity to perform Umrah aligns with Emirates Islamic’s values of generosity and supporting the community and those in need."

Careem’s Captain support team is committed to making it easy for Captains to earn easily and flexibly through the Careem platform. Careem introduces wellness and safety initiatives to support UAE delivery Captains during the summer months, including providing them with summer kits, air conditioned rest stops, and dedicated “Captain Vans” for Captains to rest and hydrate. In 2023, Careem also partnered with Emirates NBD to surprise ten Captains with trips home to visit their families in Pakistan.

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About Careem

Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East, making it easier than ever to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Careem is led by a powerful purpose to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organisation that inspires. Since 2012, Careem has created earning opportunities for over 2.5 million Captains, simplified the lives of over 50 million customers, and built a platform for the region’s best talent to thrive and for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. Careem operates in over 70 cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan. www.careem.com

About Umrahme 

Umrahme, a part of Traveazy Group, is the world’s first fully-digitalized booking platform dedicated to enhancing the Umrah travel and pilgrimage experience. With a strong focus on value, customer excellence, and fostering community connections, Umrahme is committed to making the sacred journey of Umrah accessible, affordable, and spiritually fulfilling for pilgrims around the world. Umrahme presents exclusive Ramadan packages with flights, hotels and transfers, alongside special offerings for the last 10 nights and limited-time hotel deals. Umrahme has also partnered up with key hotels for guaranteed allotments during the holy month for an immersive spiritual experience in Makkah and Madinah.

About Emirates Islamic

Emirates Islamic (DFM: EIB), part of Emirates NBD Group, is a leading Islamic financial institution in the UAE. Established in 2004 as Emirates Islamic Bank, the bank has established itself as a major player in the highly competitive financial services sector in the UAE. Emirates Islamic offers a comprehensive range of Shari’ah-compliant products and services across the Personal, Business and Corporate banking spectrum with a network of 40 branches and 216 ATMs/CDMs across the UAE. In the fast-growing area of online and mobile banking, the bank is an innovator, being the first Islamic bank in the UAE to launch a mobile banking app and offer Apple Pay, as well as being the first Islamic bank in the world to launch Chat Banking services for customers via WhatsApp.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jasmine AlDameary
jasmine.aldaemary@careem.com

Tony Luke
Tony.luke@hillandknowlton.com