Careem will suspend its ride-hailing service in Pakistan on July 18, marking the end of nearly a decade of operations in the country, CEO and co-founder Mudassir Sheikha announced on Wednesday. However, he emphasized that Careem’s presence in Pakistan would continue in a different capacity.
Careem ending its ride-hailing in Pakistan is more than business news. For many young entrepreneurs, it’s a gut-punch. @MudassirSheikha planted the startup seed in our ecosystem — and for that, we owe him big. pic.twitter.com/BWjF9h5hnS
— Umer Farooq (@umerasks) June 18, 2025
Sharing the update on LinkedIn, Sheikha described the decision as “incredibly difficult” but necessary in light of the challenging macroeconomic environment, increasing competition, and global capital allocation pressures. “It became hard to justify the investment required to ensure a safe and reliable service in the country,” he said, adding that the Careem Rides team was left with no choice but to make this tough call.
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Calling this “the end of an iconic chapter built with purpose, grit, and relentless hustle,” Sheikha reflected on Careem’s impact in Pakistan — from enabling safe on-demand rides and making digital payments mainstream to empowering women to travel independently.
He praised the Pakistan team’s bold efforts to overcome formidable challenges and create millions of earning opportunities for drivers, or ‘captains,’ across the country. “The team built a service that millions relied on to move and earn, delivering essential digital infrastructure, trust, regulation, and confidence that laid the foundation for countless local and international digital ventures,” Sheikha noted.
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Despite halting its ride-hailing services, Careem’s operations in Pakistan will continue through Careem Technologies — its newly spun-out entity focused on building the ‘Everything App.’ Nearly 400 employees across various functions, including engineering, are working on this ecosystem, which includes food and grocery delivery, digital payments, and more.
Sheikha added that the company plans to expand its workforce further, with over 100 positions open and an ongoing Falcon/NextGen program that recruits top talent from Pakistani universities for hands-on training in building scalable systems.
“Pakistan is deeply embedded in Careem’s DNA — our very first line of code was written here. The country remains a vital hub of talent and innovation for us,” he stressed.
Notably, in April 2024, Uber announced the discontinuation of its ride-hailing app in Pakistan, stating that Careem would continue offering such services. Careem entered the Pakistani market in October 2015 and currently operates in 12 countries across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Pakistan.