Dubai: Uber said on Sunday it is launching a new service called UberHIRE, a service that provides a car and driver for up to eight hours. The new service will target business users.
In a statement on Sunday, Uber said Dubai is the first city in the Middle East to see the launch of this service, adding that it was aimed at “Dubai-based working professionals and business travellers who have multiple meetings or require transportation outside of Dubai.”
UberHIRE will be rolled out to Business Profile users in Dubai in phases, starting in January 2018. The minimum fare on UberHIRE is Dh300 for the first three hours, after which, riders are charged Dh1.67 per minute up to a maximum of eight hours.
“Dubai is the first city in the Middle East to launch this service as we’ve experienced high demand for a feature that caters purely to businesses. We are continuously working on providing more offerings to our users, and hope to launch in other locations depending on demand,” Chris Free, general manager for Uber UAE, told Gulf News by email.
He added that Uber realised that companies are looking for their employees to be picked up, and taken to meetings around the UAE while keeping the same driver.
UberHIRE automatically matches riders with the highest-rated drivers and the newest car models, Uber said.
“Our technology makes it possible for us to create specialised solutions that can help users have access to reliable transportation at affordable prices. UberHIRE is one such product that address the commuting needs of working professionals in Dubai by letting them book an Uber and use it for up to eight hours,” the general manager said.
Discussing performance in the region, Free said that Uber has seen “significant growth” here, both from a rider and driver perspective. He said the region has been “extremely receptive” to Uber’s technology, and that he anticipates “exponential growth” in the coming years as more people move to city centres.
Internationally, Uber has been facing challenges that include multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment by Uber drivers. Separately, London regulator, Transport of London, in September refused Uber’s application to renew its licence to operate in the city.
