Uber has signed a strategic partnership with Takamol Holding, which operates Wusool, a program developed by Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), with the goal of providing working women in Saudi Arabia with affordable, subsidised transportation solutions.
“Uber is a conscientious company that strives to uplift the communities it operates in,” said Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, VP & regional general manager, EMEA, Uber. “We are expanding exponentially within the Middle East and North Africa region, with Saudi Arabia being one of our fastest-growing markets.”
“At Uber, we will continue supporting the government’s focus on Saudisation and the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to increase women’s participation in the workforce,” he added.
Saudi-women between the ages of 18 and 65 can apply to the program through Taqat – the National Labor gateway managed by the HRDF, based on the eligibility criteria to receive partially subsidised “Wusool” rides on the Uber application in the Kingdom. Applicants must be working in the private sector and earning an income of up to a maximum of SAR 8,000 per month.
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Uber, a leader in the ride-hailing industry. This partnership will provide Saudi women with access to transportation solutions to and from their workplace, which falls under one of the strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030,” said Dr. Ahmed Al Yamani, CEO Takamol.
“[Saudi Vision 2030] aims to enable members of the community to enter the workforce and bolster it under the National Transformation Program. Approximately 25,000 women currently benefit from the program and we aim for more to join them by the end of the year 2019,” he added.
In line with the Kingdom’s cultural and economic changes, and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the strategic partnership aims at increasing women’s participation in the workforce by supporting them in overcoming the challenges associated with accessing reliable and convenient transportation to/from their workplace, as well as providing flexible economic opportunities.
The partnership is aligned with Uber’s Masaruky (“your path” in Arabic) initiative, which is committed to enhancing women’s mobility in the Kingdom. As part of the “Masaruky” initiative, Uber pledged SAR 1 million to support select women through driving schools. Most recently, Uber has announced the launch of a feature which enables women drivers on Uber to select a preference for women riders, a feature only available in Saudi and a global first for Uber.
