We’ve launched Careem NOW, an online delivery platform for goods and services, as we expand beyond ride hailing and into mass deliveries, mass transportation and payments.

The delivery platform, with end-to-end logistical capabilities, marks Careem’s entry into the food-delivery market and operates via a separate app – available for Android and iOS and on the app stores.

We’ve started by launching in Dubai and Jeddah, and Egypt and Pakistan will soon follow, but we aim to make Careem NOW the biggest online delivery platform for goods and services in the region, and over $150 million will be invested in Careem NOW, reflecting our level of commitment in creating a first-class delivery service.

Careem has over 33 million customers already on the platform, and an existing delivery system via Careem technology, so the service will be able to scale quickly to match potential demand. Existing Careem customers will be able to log into the new app with their Careem credentials and if they have a registered credit card, this will be automatically linked.

Although the food delivery market is crowded in some regions, in other countries and cities in which Careem operates the markets are hugely under-served with existing services inadequate or non-existent. Only 15 percent of the food delivery market in our region overall currently operating via app and still relying on traditional call-and-order method.

The food delivery market in Careem NOW’s target countries is predicted to grow to around $25 billion by 2022 as the global trend for how we order food is reflected in our region. Additionally, mobile internet use in the region will be around 48 percent by 2020, up from 38 percent in 2016 – as using a mobile phone to order food will only become more prevalent.

The Careem NOW app will be operated independently from the ride-hailing business, and delivery will work through both a marketplace and dedicated-fleet model.

Operating seven days a week (and in line with restaurant operating hours), the service will also have a dedicated call centre, while the pricing structure includes a customer fee for delivery.

Careem NOW gives you nearby restaurants, curated collections, popular restaurants, rich search options, sorting and tagging based on cuisine, dietary requirements, recommended dishes, real time tracking of order and there’s an easy to contact customer care team should you need to speak to someone.

The service will start by operating in the following zones, and expand from there.

Dubai: Business Bay, Jumeirah 1, JLT, Marina, Tecom, Al Quoz, Diera, Garhoud, Motor City, Sports City

Jeddah: Al Rawdha, Al Salamah, Al Naeem,Al Hamra, Al Andalus, Al Khalidiya, Al Safa, Al Zahraa