Transport App Uber Launches Two New Services In Dubai

Transport app Uber, which allows users to book a private car-ride through their smartphones, announced that it is launching two new services in Dubai.

The company said that an affordable option, uberX, and a corporate account service, Uber for Business, have now been added to its Dubai portfolio.

The new affordable option, uberX, connects riders with licensed drivers by partnering with the existing supply of transportation providers in Dubai. Any person who needs a ride needs to download the free Uber app onto their smartphone (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry) or sign up at the company’s website to request a private-hire car.

Car types include Toyota Previa, Honda Odyssey and Chrysler 300. While the base fare starts at Dhs8, the ride will cost Dhs1.75 per km, with the minimum payment at Dhs13. All payments are done via users’ credit cards.

Uber for Business provides companies with the option of hiring a car for their employees in their own city or when travelling for work in other Uber destinations around the world. The new offering allows employees who use Uber to bill their trips directly to their company. A centralised billing system will provide trip information in place of receipts.

The new services will add onto the luxury UberBLACK service, which was launched in Dubai in September 2013.

“The UAE really is the model nation for Uber in the region – with a smart city government that not only welcomes but actively fosters innovation technology, as well as being home to a population of tech-savvy, cosmopolitan consumers seeking convenience and mobility,” said JP Mondalek, Uber’s general manager for the UAE.

Since starting operations in Dubai, Uber has expanded to six cities regionally, including Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha and Beirut.

“We are now looking at new Uber destinations across the region,” added Mondalek.

Last month, Uber announced that it was available in 200 cities across 45 different countries after simultaneous launches in 24 new markets. Dubai was the 44th city, globally, that Uber launched in.