What is Careem? How To Use It, Cost, Locations, Requirements

You may not have heard of Careem yet, but give it time and we bet you will. Although Careem was founded in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Uber acquired the company in 2020. Think, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, and Paypal all rolled into a single SuperApp, and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what Careem is and what it can do.

What is Careem?

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, then you know the story of how Sauron created the One Ring to rule them all. Well, Careem is the One App for all your everyday needs, and you don’t even have to fight an orc or battle Gollum to possess it.

Simply download the app to your smartphone, and Careem will allow you to do everything from ordering a ride or a meal to picking up items from one place and taking them to another. You can even use the Careem app to help send money to your family and friends.

Mudassir Sheikha and Magnus Olsson, the founders of Careem, state that when they created the app, their mission was to simplify and improve people’s lives and build a lasting organization that inspires. Co-founder Abdulla Elyas joined when his company, enwani, was acquired by Careem.

Careem Co-Founders

Today, the app is available in over 100 cities and 14 countries.

How to Use Careem

Using Careem is a fairly simple process. Download the app, sign up, and you’re ready to start using it.

Careem basically works the same way Uber, DoorDash, Instacart and other apps like this work. The only difference is that instead of using multiple apps to do different things, Careem allows you to access everything you want or need to do – all in one easy-to-use app.

What Does Careem Typically Cost?

How much Careem costs depends on a couple of factors, depending on what you want Careem to do. If you use it to book a ride, you should expect to pay a base fare, the rate for miles/kilometers traveled, and a Rate per Waiting Charge. Use it for food delivery, and you can expect to pay for the cost of the food, plus a delivery fee.

The good part about Careem is that the app lets you know upfront what you’ll pay. And if you use it for things like making deliveries for your business, they also have a monthly subscription program that waives the delivery fees when you use the app to make a certain number of deliveries per month.

Where is Careem Available?

Careem operates 24 hours a day and is available seven days a week.

Locations:

  • Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta, Mansoura, Damietta, Hurghada, Zagazig, Ismailia,, Qena, Sohag, Aswan, Banha, Port Said, Asyut, Minya, Marsa Matruh, Sahel, Fayoum, Luxor
  • Bahrain: Manama
  • Algeria: Algiers
  • Iraq: Najaf, Basrah, Baghdad, Erbil
  • Jordan: Irbid, Amman
  • KSA: Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Taif, Aljowf, Hail, Al Leith, Tabuk, Jubail, Sharurah, Al Hasa, Jazan, Madinah, ALQurayyat, Qassim, Aseer, Najran, Al Ula, Yanbu, Al Qunfudah, Hafar Albatin, Al Bahah, Tabuk Governorates, Makkah, Wadi Al Dawasir, Alkharj
  • Pakistan: Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta, Abbottabad
  • Kuwait: Kuwait City
  • Lebanon: Beirut
  • Morcocco: Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier
  • Palestine: Gaza
  • Qatar: Doha
  • UAE: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah

Careem is not yet available in the United States, but if you’re looking for non-Uber and Lyft companies, check out our Jobs like Uber and Lyft.

Careem Driver Requirements

Careem calls their drivers Captains (and Captinahs). Becoming a Captain is a fairly simple process and is similar to the process that drivers go through to become an Uber or Lyft driver.

Careem says that they have created opportunities for over a million people to earn an income in the Middle East region. Interestingly, in 2021, the number of Uber drivers in the United States was about the same, with an estimated 1.5 million drivers on the road.

The requirements to become a Careem driver depend on your location. Car requirements vary by location as well. Careem encourages drivers who are interested in becoming Captains to visit their website, Facebook page, or visit a Careem office to learn more about what you’ll need to apply.

Like most driver/delivery gigs, Careem’s drivers are independent contractors. The company does not specifically say what their drivers make, however, they do offer some additional incentives, such as in-ride insurance coverage, loyalty rewards, and other benefits.

Is it worth it?

Although Careem is not available in the United States, the company has a lot in common with some of the other delivery companies established here.

Since Uber has acquired Careem, we don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that Uber will perhaps one day take the Careem app and migrate it over into Uber, creating one Super Uber app.

If this is the case, users of the app would have the ability to order a ride and a meal from the same app, plus make deliveries, pay for items via the app, donate to charity and more. This could then allow Uber drivers to work multiple gigs without constantly toggling through different apps, making it a win-win for everyone.

Have you heard of Careem before?

-Kate @ RSG