Careem, Middle East’s ride-hailing startup announced yesterday its expansion to Sudan – a brave move considering the fact that very few international companies have entered the market since the U.S.’s economic sanctions were lifted last year.
The startup has already begun its services in the capital city Khartoum and has hired 10 Sudanese employees in addition to having signed up with hundreds of drivers.
According to the Careem, they’re expecting to have around 30 employees in Sudan and expand to at least one other city in the northeast African country by the end of 2018.
Ibrahim Manna, Careem’s Managing Director for Emerging Markets spoke to Reuters about the startups’ objectives claiming that Careem aims “to cover as many cities as possible in the next one or two years.”
He also adds that Sudan has the potential to be one of Careem’s biggest markets, especially when it comes to the number of trips taken because of the population size and demand for transportation services.
Ibrahim Manna mentions that the startup is planning to reinvest revenue earned in Sudan back into the country over the next two to three years as it grows its operations.