Many UAE residents, specially in Dubai are regular users of ridesharing apps like Careem and Uber. I love using them so much that I feel incomplete without them being around when I need them in other scenarios in my daily life.
Kudos to both apps on how they make our lives easier. But here are the top 7 things I wish Careem or Uber added support for, in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates:
1) Pickup in Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah is a popular tourist destination with the best beach resorts and the longest zipline in the world. While the RAK Shuttle is available for rides to and from the Dubai International Airport (DXB) at specific times, it would still help if there would be more transport options to and from Ras Al Khaimah.
I hope everyone – Careem, Uber, regulators, drivers/operators in Ras Al Khaimah work somehow to help facilitate pick ups in that Emirate on an app. This would even boost tourism to Ras Al Khaimah since transport will be made easier for residents and tourists.
Apart from Ras Al Khaimah, I’d also love see pickups in Al Ain on Uber and Careem.
2) Ride-Pooling
While Uber already has UberPool in the US, and other countries, I’m hopeful that both Uber and Careem would add the option to pool passengers going to the same destination. With Dubai being a popular tourist destination, this helps bring the costs down for the riders and also reduces the number of cars on the road.
3) Visa Runs to Oman
Many expats in UAE are sometimes in a situation, where a visa run to Oman is needed. GoToursDubai offers an excellent service for the visa run. If Careem/Uber partnered with them or offered this service on their own somehow, I would definitely consider using them first. I understand there are cross-border issues involved, but who doesn’t love dreaming 😉
4) Specify Wait times at interim stops for an additional charge
We all have been in that situation where we need to make a long pit stop somewhere and then go on, but not go through the hassle of calling a new ride. If Uber and Careem added a specify wait time at the stop option with additional waiting charges, then both the user and the driver are on the same page on the approximate time it’s going to take at that stop.
5) Reports and Analytics
Do you know how many rides you took last year, or even last month? Do you know what’s your average spend per month on ridesharing apps? Do you remember all the regions you used Careem or Uber across the world?
Reports and Analytics is something that would add great value to users for any app.
Even a large company like Amazon still doesn’t seem to give in-depth analytics on its past orders. I’m hopeful Uber and Careem product managers would prioritize this at some point, and I can’t wait for that day 🙂
6) Partnership with Hotel Rewards
Since 2015, Uber used to have an awesome partnership with SPG to earn double SPG points when you stay at a SPG property and ride with Uber. Sadly, that partnership ended on December 17, 2017. Given that Dubai and UAE have extensive hotels coverage with millions of tourists visiting every year. I’m not sure if Uber can renew their partnership again. But I wish maybe Careem can start a new partnership with Hilton or Marriott. Careem already partners with Emirates and Etihad, and this will definitely open a new line of hotel rewards when riding with Careem
7) Recurring Rides
All regular users have some typical rides that they take throughout the week. It could be commuting to work, or pickup/dropoff kids from school and so on. Although both Careem and Uber allow scheduling rides, I would love to see an option to set that schedule as a recurring ride option, even if its 3-4 times a week.
Well, these are situations I’ve faced and would love to see Uber and Careem solve them so that I don’t have to look elsewhere. And I also understand that it’s easier said than done.
By the way, I’ve always wondered why Uber still doesn’t have an UberKids option to ride with a fitted car seat, even though its primary market is the US where a car seat is mandatory and enforced by law. Big thumbs up to Careem for having it as an option for its riders.
I also wrote about the 6 use-cases for when to choose between Careem or Uber.
Do you have any awesome features that you think are missing, or anything you’d love to show up in your Careem or Uber app?