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Careem partners with Swapp to introduce flexible car rental on the app

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Published: Fri 29 Apr 2022, 9:00 AM

The UAE car rental industry is primarily highly influenced by both the tourists and office corporates. With the growing popularity of a technology-based platform and adopting new customer-oriented services, the government is providing initiatives to push the market.

With the growing economy in the UAE and readily available car rentals on demand, car rentals have become even more accessible and sustainable. The rise in population, especially in larger cities, is leading to the unavailability of space, and the rising prices of fuel and taxes have all resulted in people drawn towards sustainability. Environmentally friendly vehicles like electric vehicles (EVs) are being adopted as the UAE car rental industry is moving towards eco-friendly solutions.


Careem, the region’s leading multi-service platform, recently announced its partnership with Swapp, a car rental service based in the UAE, to bring convenient and flexible car rental options to customers.

Careem is the everyday Super App for the greater Middle East region. A pioneer of the region’s ride-hailing economy, Careem provides a host of daily services that people need to move around, order things, and transfer money in one unified smartphone app. Careem’s mission is to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organization that inspires. Established in July 2012, Careem operates in over 100 cities across 12 countries and has created two million income-generating opportunities in the region. Careem became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Uber Technologies, Inc. in January 2020.


Careem customers in the UAE can now access Swapp’s car rental service as a new tile on the Careem app and select and order their vehicle through a few simple taps for a seamless digital experience. Vehicles are available for rental for a minimum of 30 days, after which customers can choose to return or exchange for other vehicles. Swapp offers a range of car choices, from low-budget options like the Kia Picanto to the Mitsubishi Attrage, SUVs like the Nissan Kicks, Chevrolet Captiva, and bigger cars including the Chevrolet Tahoe, and even BMWs.

Customers who rent a car monthly with Swapp through the Careem app will receive a 25 per cent discount for the first month, with a Dh1,000 cap. Select monthly car rentals come with 2,000 free kilometres, after which customers can pay per kilometre. Customers can manage their monthly recurring payments using any card linked to their Careem pay wallet.

Adeeb Warsi, Managing Director of Platform at Careem said, “We are thrilled to partner with a business that is removing friction from the car rental process in the UAE. For many people, renting a car still involves heavy administration, high fees, and rigid lock-in periods. Bringing Swapp onto the Careem app will enable our customers to win back even more time and money, and benefit from increased choice and flexibility when renting a vehicle. We are excited to find more and more ways to simplify daily life for our customers, whether through services built by Careem or through services offered by some of the most innovative startups in the region.”

Danny Laczo, Co-Founder of Swapp, said, “We are really excited to partner with Careem to bring an affordable and flexible, quality, on-demand car rental experience to Careem customers. We believe in making car rental even more accessible to everyone, and being part of the Careem Super App is one step closer to doing that. We understand the magnitude of impact Careem has made on the region over the last decade, and we are kicking off this partnership with extreme motivation, hunger, and ambition.”

Swapp is the latest partner to be added to the Careem app, which offers businesses the chance to tap into the Careem brand, network, and infrastructure to scale and reach new customers. Careem also offers Customers access to seamless home PCR testing and cleaning services through Justlife. Swapp is a flexible on-demand car rental platform, serving both short and long-term needs. Swapp’s mission is to win back people’s time, money, and freedom, with a service that is fast, completely digital, hassle-free and doesn't tie you down. Swapp launched in early 2021 in Europe, and expanded in September to Dubai, and has seen impressive growth since. Swapp acts as a marketplace for both users and suppliers, offering quality service and a high level of customer care.

Swapp offers an online car rental process, removing the need to visit a car rental company to complete administration. Instead, cars are delivered directly to the customer’s doorstep. While the car rental process is fully digitalised, Careem’s Care team assists customers with information and support if they have any queries.

In the UAE, the Careem Super App offers 12 services including ride-hailing, food, and grocery delivery, micro-mobility, payments, and partner services including car rental, home cleaning and PCR testing.

— ali@khaleejtimes.com


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