The “Uber of the Middle East” and its attempts to adapt and expand

As Careem eyes regional expansions, the company is attempting to adapt to local regulations as well as traditions, Adam Popescu writes for Bloomberg. In Saudi Arabia, the company’s biggest market, Careem has begun recruiting and training thousands of women to act as on-demand chauffeurs as the country prepares to issue its first driver’s licenses to women in June. In Pakistan, Careem put marriage matchmakers known as rishta aunties in their cars with passengers, generating criticism that the company seemed to be pushing women toward more conservative social norms. In Egypt, however, where ride-sharing services may be required to place servers with Egyptian user data inside the country under the new Ride-hailing Apps Act, Careem has declined to comment on whether it would choose to do so or leave the country.