As Saudi women get right to drive, Uber eyes a female recruitment drive
Riyadh — Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies plans to sign up women drivers in Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the kingdom’s decision to overturn a ban on women drivers. Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, head of Uber’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in an interview in Riyadh that the process will likely begin "shortly" before women can start applying for driver’s licences, which is expected to be in June 2018, but would not elaborate. "We want to create economic opportunities for women as drivers on the Uber platform," he said. The world’s largest ride-hailing company also plans to open support centres for women Uber drivers in Saudi Arabia, with the first one to open in Riyadh, but Gore-Coty did not say when. Saudi Arabia announced last week that it would open its roads to women drivers in 2018, overturning a ban that had been widely condemned by Saudi activists and global human rights organisations. While Uber is set to increase its pool of drivers, the repeal...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.