Who Owns Careem?
Careem is owned by Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER), which acquired the Dubai-based company in a $3.1 billion deal completed in 2020. Uber fully owns the Careem Rides business, while the non-rides operations sit in Careem Technologies, a joint entity in which Uber took a controlling position after buying a 12.5% stake from Emirati telecom group e& for $100 million in June 2026.
Parent Company
Acquired
2019
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
Careem Timeline
Who Owns Careem?
- Parent Company: Uber Technologies, Inc.
- Ownership Type: Subsidiary
- Acquisition Year: 2019
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NYSE: UBER
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Careem | Uber Technologies, Inc. | Subsidiary |
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History of Careem
- Founded: 2012
- Founders: Mudassir Sheikha, Magnus Olsson, Abdulla Elyas
- Acquired by Uber Technologies, Inc.: 2019
Mudassir Sheikha and Magnus Olsson, both former McKinsey consultants, founded Careem in Dubai in July 2012. It started as a website for corporate car bookings in Dubai before launching a consumer ride-hailing app. Abdulla Elyas, a Saudi entrepreneur, joined as a co-founder in 2014 when his company merged with Careem.
Careem grew into the dominant ride-hailing platform across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan, reaching markets Uber had never entered, including Baghdad, Khartoum, and Islamabad. It built features tuned to the region, such as paying drivers in cash and in-app messaging in Arabic. By 2018, Careem had raised funding at a valuation above $2 billion and employed thousands of drivers it calls Captains.
In March 2019, Uber announced it would acquire Careem for $3.1 billion, the largest technology acquisition in the Middle East at the time. The deal closed in January 2020 after regulatory approvals. Uber kept the Careem brand and app intact and kept Sheikha and Olsson in leadership roles.
Careem then pivoted toward becoming a super app, adding food delivery, grocery delivery, bike sharing, mobile payments, and remittances. In December 2023, the company was split into two entities: Careem Rides, which stayed wholly owned by Uber, and Careem Technologies, the super app, which took a $400 million investment from e& for a majority stake.
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The super app continued expanding through 2025, adding cities in the UAE and broadening its more than 20 services. In June 2026, Uber moved back toward consolidation, buying a 12.5% stake in Careem Technologies from e& for $100 million and taking the controlling position in the super app entity.
About Uber Technologies, Inc.
What does Uber own?
Uber owns its technology platform, mobile applications (Uber, Uber Eats, Uber Freight), and the Uber One subscription program. The company acquired Postmates in 2020 for $2.65 billion, which operates as a subsidiary. Uber does not own vehicles or employ drivers in most markets. Its portfolio includes Uber (ride-hailing), Uber Eats (food delivery), Uber Freight (logistics), and Uber for Business (enterprise solutions).
Is Uber publicly traded?
Yes, Uber is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol UBER. The company went public in May 2019, raising $8.1 billion at $45 per share. Ownership is distributed among institutional investors including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and Morgan Stanley, as well as individual shareholders.
Who founded Uber?
Uber was founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp in San Francisco, California. The concept emerged from Camp's frustration with finding a taxi in Paris. The company launched as "UberCab" in 2010, initially offering luxury black car rentals before expanding to ride-sharing with UberX in 2012. Kalanick served as CEO until his resignation in 2017.
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Where is Uber headquartered?
Uber is headquartered in San Francisco, California, where the company has maintained its global headquarters since its founding in 2009. The San Francisco location provides access to technology talent and venture capital resources. Uber operates regional offices globally to support its operations in over 70 countries.
How many brands does Uber own?
Uber's major brands are Uber (core ride-hailing), Uber Eats (food and retail delivery), Uber Freight (logistics), Careem (Middle East mobility), and Postmates (U.S. delivery). The company also operates Uber for Business (enterprise solutions) and Uber One (membership program). Within its core mobility platform, Uber offers service tiers including UberX, Uber Black, Uber Comfort, Uber Pool, and Uber XL.
Who owns Uber?
Uber is publicly owned with no controlling shareholder. Ownership is distributed among institutional investors including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and Morgan Stanley, as well as mutual funds, pension funds, and individual shareholders. SoftBank Group, previously the largest shareholder, has reduced its stake significantly since 2024. Dara Khosrowshahi has served as CEO since 2017.
- Founded: 2009
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NYSE: UBER
- Revenue: $52.0 billion (FY2025)
- Employees: Approximately 31,000
Where Is Careem Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Careem Categories & Tags
Careem Recalls & Controversies
Careem suffered a major data breach disclosed in 2018 that compromised 14 million users' data from earlier that year; the company faced criticism for the delayed disclosure. In Egypt, regulators suspended and later restricted ride-hailing operations amid taxi industry protests, though services continued under regulatory frameworks. The 2023 corporate split created confusion among users about which entity controlled which services, which the company addressed with unified branding across both apps.
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Brands Owned by Uber Technologies, Inc.
Food Service RestaurantsPostmates
Owned by Uber Technologies, Inc.
U.S. food, grocery, and goods delivery app acquired by Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) for $2.65 billion in December 2020, still operating under its own brand.
food-deliverydelivery-appon-demand
Food Service RestaurantsUber Eats
Owned by Uber Technologies, Inc.
Food, grocery, and retail delivery platform owned by Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER), launched in 2014 and operating in more than 45 countries.
food-deliverygrocery-deliverydelivery-app
Transportation LogisticsUber Freight
Owned by Uber Technologies, Inc.
Digital freight brokerage and logistics platform owned by Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER), launched in 2017 and expanded through the 2021 Transplace acquisition.
freightlogisticstrucking
Transportation LogisticsUber
Owned by Uber Technologies, Inc.
Ride-hailing app and mobility platform owned by Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER), operating in more than 70 countries and 15,000 cities.
ride-hailingmobilitytransportation-app
Careem Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Dominant brand recognition and market share across the Middle East and North Africa
- +Wholly owned rides business backed by Uber's global technology and capital
- +Super app expansion supported by e& partnership and Uber's renewed controlling stake
- +Operates in markets where Uber has no standalone presence
Considerations
- -Dual-entity structure adds complexity to the Careem brand and user experience
- -Regional political and currency risks, particularly in Pakistan and Lebanon
- -Regulatory uncertainty around gig worker rules in Gulf states
- -Path to full Uber consolidation of Careem Technologies depends on exercising options
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Frequently Asked Questions About Careem
Sources & Further Reading
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Competitors to Careem
No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because Careemoperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.
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container-logisticsstate-ownedindian-railways
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Uber Technologies, Inc. Stock Information
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