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October 13, 2024
The Hona News
Tech

Hala, Dubai’s e-hailing taxi startup enters Africa

Hala, Dubai’s e-hailing taxi startup enters Africa

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Hala, Dubai’s e-hailing taxi startup is set to launch in the Egyptian market with local partner MwaslaTech, a smart transport and shared mobility solutions partner.

The two firms signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Hala’s Dubai headquarters.  

The signing ceremony was attended by senior executives from both companies, including Khaled Nuseibeh, Chief Executive Officer at Hala, and Yasser Sedky, CEO at MwaslaTech.  

In a statement seen by TechMoran, Khaled Nuseibeh, Chief Executive Officer at Hala said, “This is a proud moment for all of us at Hala as we pursue new and exciting opportunities beyond the UAE for the first time, and commence our ambitious expansion into the MENAT region. We are pleased to partner with a trusted industry leader, MwaslaTech, for this pivotal next step in our growth journey. Our experience and reputation for reliability in the UAE, will enable us to deliver first-rate transportation solutions in Egypt. We are dedicated to delivering the same high standard of service excellence and innovation into this new market.”  

Launched in 2019 through a joint venture between Careem and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai, Hala uses Careem’s tech-driven, multi-modal transportation platform and the RTA’s expert industry knowledge to transform how people move around the city. Careem was later acquired by Uber for $3.1 billion making Careem Networks FZ-LLC a wholly-owned subsidiary of Uber, preserving its brand.

In 2023, UAE-based  communication firm e& (formerly Etisalat) acquired a 50.03 per cent stake in Careem’s Super App spinout for $400 million to accelerate its ambitious vision to create the first “everything app” serving customers across the Middle East.

Careem co-founder and CEO Mudassir Sheikha still runs Careem’s mobility, delivery, and payments businesses across the greater Middle East region, with major markets including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The firm later expanded into Pakistan, Qatar, and Morocco. It’s has not been mentioned if Careem and Hala are still partners after this acquisition.

Hala provides transportation services across Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In Q1 2024, Hala saw a growth of 20% in new users signing up for the service compared to the same period  last year. Apart from in-car digital screens for increased revenues, Hala also gives its Captains constant technical support and continuous learning and development and has trained over 2,577 Captains since January 2024.

Through its expansion into Egypt, Hala aims to replicate and build upon its success in the UAE. As part of the agreement, Hala will explore opportunities in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) of Egypt, a ground-breaking city project located on the east side of Cairo that has been under construction since 2015, as well as other cities. Hala aims to  introduce cutting-edge  solutions and leverage advanced technologies to enhance the travel experience for its customers in Egypt.  

Commenting on the collaboration, Yasser Sedky, CEO of MwaslaTech, stated, “Partnering with Hala is a proud moment for us, leveraging our deep experience in Egypt’s public transport to launch an innovative taxi service. This initiative combines e-hailing with street-hailing, building on our proven track record in smart transport solutions tailored for Egyptian commuters. We’re set to redefine mobility standards and eagerly anticipate transforming Egypt’s transport sector alongside Hala.” 

Hala aims to work closely with both government and private stakeholders in Egypt to ensure it effectively addresses the unique transportation needs of Cairo commuters. In Africa, Hala will compete with Uber, Bolt, Careem, inDriver, Faras among others. Faras is the latest entrant in the Kenyan market and might find it hard to compete if Hala launches in the Kenyan market in the next six months as it’s yet to establish a loyal customer base but targeting the Kenyan Muslim and Somali communities who will easily choose the more established Hala.

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