40% of Uber Drivers in Cairo Were Completely Unemployed
Egyptian riders and drivers love Uber, evidenced by the fact that the ride-sharing app is breaking records right and left in Cairo and will be receiving a 500 million pound investment. Look out taxicabs.
A whopping 30,000 people have signed up as Uber drivers in Cairo, 40% of which were completely unemployed before.
Since Uber came into our lives about 18 months ago to save us from the awkward tyranny of the white and black cabs of Cairo, the ride-sharing app has totally reshaped the way we get around. The fact is made plain with Uber announcing that Cairo is the fastest city in the region to adopt the ride-sharing app.
"Uber transformed urban mobility for millions of Egyptians when we launched in Cairo, introducing a safe, reliable and efficient way to move around the city. But Uber is more than that - we are creating valuable economic opportunities at a time when unemployment remains all too common in the Middle East. Our goal is to invest more than ever before in Egypt, providing more work as well as a better way to travel for Egyptians,” says General Manager of Uber Egypt Anthony Khoury.
Uber is also investing a total of 2.2 billion Egyptian pounds in the MENA region, with 500 million of it going to Egypt over the next two years. The money will go into adding more resources and training centres for Uber's driver network.
“The government is very clear that innovative technologies can play a crucial role in helping people get around our cities and so it is encouraging that regulations for ride-sharing are under discussion. We can help even further when the private and public sectors work together with the best interests of the people at heart,” added Khoury.