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Dubai: Since the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 came to a dramatic and nail-biting finish on December 18, businesses have been releasing figures on how the tournament made an impact on local and regional businesses. Most recently, Uber released regional mobility insights based on the data collected from their app usage during the tournament.
UAE was a hub for football fans who wanted to head to Qatar, with over 120 match day shuttles ferrying football-lovers daily to and from Qatar. Dubai-based carrier flydubai operated 1,290 flights between Dubai World Central (DWC) and Doha International Airport for the Fifa World Cup, it said on Thursday. These flights made it cheaper to fly to the UAE and take these shuttle flights for certain matches, than heading to Qatar for the duration of the tournament.
As expected, given these stats, Uber's report also revealed that airport trips in the UAE rose by a whopping 61 per cent last month. In Qatar, the report added, 2.6 million riders moved across the country through trips requested via the Uber app during the tournament’s four weeks.
The most visitors to the UAE were from these 10 countries; UK, India, Kazakhstan, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Egypt and France. The company stated that in just one one month, people from 91 countries used the Uber app while visiting the UAE.
The most visited destinations based on rides chosen on the app were Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and Nakheel Mall.
Ahead of the month-long World Cup extravaganza in Qatar, Uber launched new app features and ride options as well, including UberX Share and UberXL.
UberX Share is the more affordable version of UberX, a company media statement said at the time. Available when requesting a trip using the Uber app, UberX Share lets two riders heading in the same direction share the same ride, helping them pay up to 30 per cent less on their total fare. UberXL is aimed at groups of four to six people looking to get around town together.
Norhen Ali, Uber’s Head of Communications for MENA said in a press statement: “This was a milestone moment for all of us in the region, and we’re proud to have helped millions of people move around comfortably and affordably. This was a massive undertaking at one of the busiest times in the region’s history but has underlined the importance of fruitful collaboration and true innovation.
"We’ve seen an appetite for new products and features, and more drivers’ earnings supplemented. We look forward to making travel even more seamless through our technology as the region takes the lead in spearheading significant global events.”
