Careem CEO has an update on company's Pakistan operations: With a heavy heart ...

Uber
's Middle Eastern
ride-hailing
giant
Careem
has announced that it is shutting down its operations in
Pakistan
, effective July 18, 2025. The company's co-founder and CEO
Mudassar Sheikha
shared the news of suspension of the services of Careem via a LinkedIn post. In a long LinkedIn post, Sheikha wrote, 'It is with a heavy heart that I share this update… This was an incredibly difficult decision.' He cited
macroeconomic challenges
, intensifying competition, and global capital constraints as key reasons behind the move, saying the company could no longer justify the investment needed to maintain a safe and reliable service in the country.
Sheikha also lauded the Pakistani team's "brilliant and fearless" efforts in building a service that millions relied on for daily commutes and earnings. Despite the suspension of its ride-hailing service, Careem's presence in Pakistan will continue in a different capacity.
Careem Technologies
, a spin-off focused on building the "Everything App" for the region, will maintain its operations from Pakistan.
Read Careem CEO Mudassar Sheikha's complete LinkedIn post here
A new chapter for Careem in Pakistan
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless
medalmerit
Learn More
Undo
It is with a heavy heart that I share this update: Careem will suspend its ride-hailing service in Pakistan on July 18.
This was an incredibly difficult decision. The challenging macroeconomic reality, intensifying competition, and global capital allocation made it hard to justify the investment levels required to deliver a safe and dependable service in the country. In the end, the Careem Rides team had to make this tough call.
It's the end of an iconic chapter - one built with purpose, grit and a ton of relentless hustle.
I still remember when we launched in 2015, many thought it was a pipe dream. Safe rides on demand? Women traveling with strangers? Smartphones and digital payments for everyday use? The challenges were real and formidable. But our Pakistan team was brilliant and fearless - bold, determined, and literally on a mission to create millions of jobs for captains across the country.
They did not just build a service that millions of Pakistanis relied on to move and earn, they delivered significant public goods: digital infrastructure, trust, regulation, capability, confidence - all of which paved the way for countless local and global digital ventures to take root in Pakistan.
While ride-hailing is sunsetting, Careem's journey in Pakistan continues in a different role. Careem Technologies (the spinout building the Everything App) will continue to build from Pakistan for the region. Nearly 400 colleagues across all functions (including engineering) are building the Everything App and its ecosystem of verticals (food/grocery delivery, payments, and more).
This presence is only set to grow, with over 100 open roles and the expansion of our Falcon / NextGen program that brings in top graduates from Pakistani universities and gives them hands-on training on building highly scalable systems.
Pakistan is in Careem's DNA - our first line of code was written here, and the country remains a rich source of innovation and talent for us. Our commitment to Pakistan remains strong, and I sincerely hope to bring Careem's services back to the country in the future.
Lastly, I feel deeply grateful to the heroes who built Careem in Pakistan under the bold leadership of Junaid Iqbal. THANK YOU - you all made it happen against all odds. Your boldness, brilliance and passion shaped Careem and inspired a generation. I am incredibly proud of you all and can't wait to see the impact you will make across the region in the next chapters of your life.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Time of India

2 hours ago

• Time of India

Capillary to raise Rs 430cr via fresh issue

Capillary Technologies (Image credits: LinkedIn) BENGALURU: Capillary has refiled papers with Sebi to raise Rs 430 crore through fresh issue of shares. The offer also includes an offer-for-sale of up to 1.8 crore equity shares by existing investors and promoter entities. The company's public debut comes after it withdrew earlier IPO plans in 2021, citing market conditions. Capillary provides AI-powered loyalty and customer engagement solutions to global brands. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now

First Post

2 hours ago

• First Post

Iran urges India to condemn 'Israeli aggression', asks Pakistan to not 'harm' interests

There is speculation that Washington was looking at using Pakistani military bases in case it decides to launch attacks on Tehran read more Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran. Reuters Iran expects India and other like-minded nations to condemn Israeli 'military aggression' against it as such actions are a 'breach' of international law, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Friday. Mohammad Javad Hosseini, the deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy, also hoped that Pakistan would not do anything that will harm Iran's interests. His response on Pakistan came when asked at a media briefing about Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Wednesday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There is speculation that Washington was looking at using Pakistani military bases in case it decides to launch attacks on Tehran. Hosseini also said that India is a leader of the Global South and Iran expects New Delhi to condemn the Israeli actions of 'breaching' international law by attacking a sovereign country. 'We believe every country including India should condemn it (Israeli military actions), not because of their relations with Iran but because these actions are in breach of global norms,' he said. Israel and Iran have fired hundreds of missiles and drones at each other's cities as well as military facilities since the hostilities began over a week ago. Asked if Iran was considering shutting the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian diplomat did not give a direct reply and said several options are on the table. Nearly 30 per cent of the world's daily oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz. According to the International Energy Agency, even a brief disruption of passage through the strait will have a significant impact on oil markets. 'We have many things on the table, but it doesn't mean that we are going to do it now. It depends on the situation and how the other players want to go,' Hosseini said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'If they want to solve the problem, definitely some of these things will be put aside,' he added. Asked about possible impact of the hostilities with Israel on Iran's Chabahar port, the Iranian diplomat only said that any further escalation of tensions could have far-reaching implications for the flow of energy and other commodities. 'It is not just a matter of Chabahar, it's a matter of the whole region. If it escalates, it will definitely affect many things, definitely the flow of oil, shipments and commodities which are going through these channels will be affected,' Hosseini said. 'Because of this, those countries who will be affected, it is better for them to think and to start stopping this aggression, to avoid any kind of negative effects on the economy of the region, which will definitely spread out to the whole world,' he said.

Hans India

5 hours ago

• Hans India

9 out of 10 recruiters in Hyderabad are investing up to half of their hiring budgets in AI and tech to hire smarter, faster: LinkedIn research

AI and innovation are growing stronger roots in Hyderabad, and the city's recruitment landscape mirrors this trend. New research from LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, reveals that over 95% of recruiters in the city are allocating up to 50% of their budgets to tech and tools like AI to boost hiring success. LinkedIn's India Hiring ROI research, based on responses from over 1,300 HR professionals across 10 cities, finds that recruiters in Hyderabad are shifting from 'quick hiring' to 'quality hiring', with quality of hire (79%) emerging as the top measure of success, followed by time to hire (61%) and retention rate (60%). The definition of 'quality talent' is shifting – 74% recruiters in the city prioritise practical and transferable skills when defining talent quality. Ruchee Anand, Head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions in India, says, 'Recruiters across India are shifting focus from just filling roles to finding quality talent that drives business impact. Hyderabad is championing this evolution with investments in AI-powered tools to help them hire better. At this crucial juncture, 8 in 10 recruiters in the city are also seeing value in online platforms such as LinkedIn to deliver the highest recruitment ROI. As hiring grows more skills-first and strategic, LinkedIn's AI-powered tools are helping talent leaders unlock stronger candidate engagement and build an agile workforce.' Talent gaps key challenge across sectors Across India, sectors like IT & technology (62%) and Healthcare (41%) are also giving skills the higher seat when weighing talent. However, recruiters in IT & technology say it's tough to find qualified candidates quickly (69%), while those in Healthcare struggle to find the right mix of technical and soft skills (68%). For Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Hyderabad, balancing global company goals with local skill availability (83%) and limited training opportunities (60%) pose significant hurdles in hiring skilled talent locally. Abhishek Singh Kumar, Senior Director, Impetus, says, 'LinkedIn has been an invaluable asset in our talent acquisition strategy, enabling us to connect with both active job seekers and highly qualified professionals who may not be actively searching. The AI-powered candidate outreach ensures that our messaging is well-crafted and efficiently customized, enhancing our employer branding and positioning us effectively in front of potential candidates. With ongoing support from LinkedIn's dedicated account managers and subject matter experts, our recruiters have mastered the art of hiring through the platform. As a result, LinkedIn has helped us source exceptional talent swiftly, contributing significantly to our business growth." AI tools boost efficiency, help recruiters grow into strategic career advisors Recruiters are using AI to save time by automating manual tasks and enhancing productivity. As per the research, 67% of Hyderabad's recruiters are using AI-powered screening tools, and 72% are leveraging data analytics in decision making to speed up hiring. Across India, IT & technology companies are also using AI-powered screening tools (71%) and data analytics (74%) to hire faster. They are seeing measurable benefits: 54% recruiters in Hyderabad say AI increases efficiency, 51% say it improves skills-first outcomes, and 45% say that by taking repetitive tasks off their plate, it helps them focus on higher value activities such as stakeholder alignment and candidate experience. As AI adoption grows, 90% of recruiters in Hyderabad expect to step up as 'strategic career advisors' in their roles, and 94% plan to use personalised content and data insights to engage candidates more effectively. LinkedIn's AI-powered tools are built to help recruiters hire quality candidates faster, with higher response rates As recruiters face rising pressure to move faster without compromising on quality, LinkedIn's AI-powered tools are designed to deliver results that matter. ● Recruiter 2024, LinkedIn's first generative AI hiring experience, is already helping hirers connect with qualified candidates more effectively, with AI-assisted messages seeing 44% higher acceptance rates and being responded to 11% faster than standard outreach globally.