Uber launches exclusive feature for women in Saudi Arabia

After a successful pilot run last year, Uber has announced the launch of a new “Women Preferred View” for women drivers in Saudi Arabia. The new feature, which is currently exclusive to the country, allows women pilots the preference to be connected with women riders only.

A global first for Uber, the feature has come into being due to its popularity and is now a full-fledged feature exclusive to women drivers in Saudi Arabia. The launch of this feature comes on the back of Uber’s Masaruky initiative that aims to increase women’s participation in the workforce through access to affordable transportation.

Commenting on the announcement, Tino Waked, General Manager of Uber Middle East and North Africa, said: “Last year we announced the launch of Masaruky, an initiative aimed towards empowering women with economic opportunities by providing accessible transport solutions. We have seen an incredible response in the Kingdom thus far. As part of this initiative, this newly introduced feature will open new doors and opportunities for women as Uber driver-partners, while being conscientious of local cultural norms”

The new feature was introduced after months of research to understand the perspectives of Saudi women on transport and driving, followed by a pilot run last year. Uber’s research carried out in collaboration with Ipsos, in February 2018 found almost 31% of those surveyed indicated that they were interested in driving as an earnings opportunity. In a more recent study, the company also found that 74% of prospective women drivers interviewed would only be interested in driving women riders.

Editor's Pick:

Electric Vehicle purchasing habits in the GCC

Lexus teases first ever minivan before Shanghai Auto Show reveal

Also See:

Sneak peek of the all new Bentley Flying Spur

MINI teases first full electric car Cooper SE