- Uber in Saudi has introduced a new mode of ride, allowing female passengers to be accompanied by female drivers only.
- The company is also launching Saudi Arabia's first-ever GigSister event.
Uber, the American multinational ride-sharing company, has introduced a new category of ride in Saudi Arabia that allows women passengers to be matched with female drivers only, aligning with wider efforts to encourage the participation of women in the labor force and mobility business.
The move comes seven years after the Kingdom lifted the ban on women driving, and comes in support of Uber's continued investment in Saudi Arabia's localised strategies pushing Saudi Vision 2030 goals.
The new group, Women Drivers, is available in the same way as the regular UberX service and will be launched in stages to drivers around the country over the next few weeks. It enables women to request on-demand rides or pre-book them up to 30 minutes in advance on Uber Reserve.
In addition, General Manager of Uber in Saudi Arabia Youssef Abouseif said, “The launch of the ‘Women Drivers’ product reflects our commitment to empowering women and supporting their mobility and economic independence. We’re giving women more choice, more opportunity, and a stronger sense of community.”
Uber is also introducing Saudi Arabia's first-ever GigSister event, an initiative-based program providing a platform for female drivers to connect, network, and create a local community support system.
Concurrently, the firm has joined hands with Alnahda Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to economically and socially empowering women. The partnership involves capacity-building activities such as financial literacy classes, seeking to empower women with skills that can result in economic independence, such as working as Uber drivers.
The new program is an extension of Uber's earlier partnership with Alnahda in the Masaruky program, which aided thousands of women in acquiring driver's licenses and mobility-based employment.
Uber launched a number of female-centric services across Saudi Arabia in recent years, including:
- Wusool, which has booked more than 20 million subsidised rides for women
- Women Rider Preference, which enables female drivers to only accept women riders
It is seeking to raise the workforce participation of women while providing greater convenience and flexibility for drivers and riders alike.
