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Uber's Middle East Rival Careem Launches Bus Booking Service in Egypt

Uber's Middle East Rival Careem Launches Bus-Booking Service in Egypt

By Reuters | Updated: 4 December 2018 17:51 IST

Highlights

Careem launched a bus-booking service in Egypt
The service would soon expand into Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
It would be between 60 percent and 70 percent cheaper than on car service

Middle East ride-hailing company Careem said on Monday it had launched a bus-booking service in Egypt and would soon expand it into Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Users of the 'Careem Bus' app select their pick-up and drop-off location and track the bus along dedicated routes, the Dubai-based company said in a statement.

It offers fixed rate fares between 60 percent and 70 percent cheaper than those on the separate car service, it added.

The launch comes more than a year after Careem invested $500,000 (roughly Rs. 3.5 crores) in Egyptian tech start-up Swvl, which offers bus booking services on its own mobile app. Careem said it had since divested the stake.

Swvl announced last month it was planning to expand to Southeast Asia after securing "tens of million of dollars" in its latest funding round.

Careem competes in many major Middle East cities with San Francisco-headquartered Uber.

Reuters reported last month that Careem has been working with investment bank Jefferies as an adviser on investment options and fundraising, including a potential merger and acquisition deal in the region with Uber.

© Thomson Reuters 2018

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