Didi Chuxing partners with car booking company Careem

Transportation giant Didi Chuxing has announced a new partnership with Middle East transportation company Careem. The partnership will further cement the company’s expansion towards North Africa and the Middle East and drive further economic growth.

With 12 million customers, Dubai based Careem has overtaken Uber within the Middle East since its launch five years ago, with investors such as Germany auto company Daimler, and Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten, enabling the company’s growth.

Since 2012, however, Dixi Chuxing has become the second most valuable start-up after Uber, according to Tech Crunch. With 400 million customers in China alone, Didi’s expansion into the Middle East will put it head-to-head with Uber, who have already gained ground within the region, creating an increased competitive market.

"Growing urban populations and economic and social diversity in the Middle East and North Africa region present enormous opportunities for the ride-hailing economy," commented Didi Chuxing CEO Cheng Wei.

"Didi Chuxing brings leading edge AI capabilities, insight and expertise to our organisation as we enter our next phase of growth," said Careem CEO Mudassir Sheikha.

The company has also recently expanded into Europe, partnering with Taxify to support its expansion throughout Europe.

However, interestingly, Didi also has shares in Uber competitor Lyft and southeast Asia company Grab, with investors such as SoftBank Group behind its development opportunities.

“Didi Chuxing brings leading edge AI capabilities, insight and expertise to our organization as we enter our next phase of growth,” said Sheikha. “This evolution in our long relationship will enable Careem to more effectively pursue growth opportunities through continued innovation and sustainability.”