On Monday, Uber’s Middle Eastern subsidiary Careem informed Qatari clients that it would suspend operations on Tuesday.
Two months after the World Cup in Qatar, when Careem, Uber, and Karwa vehicles were part of the tournament’s official preparations to transport visiting spectators, the surprising news arrived.
“Unfortunately, Careem’s ride hailing operations will no longer operate in Qatar as of February 28, 2023,” the message read, adding that Careem credit holders will receive a full refund by March 15.
Careem didn’t explain its shutdown. Careem didn’t reply to Reuters’ request for comment.
Uber Technologies Inc. purchased Careem for $3.1 billion in 2019 to dominate the Middle East and Pakistan.
In Qatar, Careem exclusively offered ride-hailing services, unlike in bigger Middle Eastern countries like the UAE, where it included food delivery, digital payments, and courier services.
In Qatar, Uber provides ride-hailing services, and it was still functioning regularly as of late Monday.
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