Dubai-based Careem, the app based car booking service, has announced that it is expanding operations into 15 more cities within the next few weeks, with Istanbul, Turkey the latest city to be added.
Initially, Careem will operate as an airport service in Turkey, available to customers going to and from the airport, in Mercedes VITO and Volkswagen car models.
Within the GCC, Careem said it is answering the high demand for its services by extending its presence to six more cities in its largest market, Saudi Arabia.
Careem cars can be booked in 23 cities across the Gulf kingdom, while in Egypt, the app will expand to three more cities.
Commuters in Pakistan can also look forward to increased access to Careem services, since the company acquired Pakistan start-up Savaree earlier in 2016, the company said in a statement.
“Our mission is to make people’s lives simpler by providing a variety of convenient transportation solutions that respond to local needs,” said Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and managing director at Careem.
“Launching Careem in Turkey is a key milestone in our journey to reinforce our position as the leading car booking service in the region and we look forward to further expansion across this dynamic market.”
Careem said in a period of four years since its launch, it has started operations in a total of 47 cities.
The ride-hailing service said in September that it is targeting profitability next year or in 2018 and is in talks with potential investors about its latest fundraising plans.
Careem has a fleet of 90,000-plus drivers and more than four million users registered through its mobile app but has yet to make a profit.
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