Careem NOW expands services to Mecca

Careem NOW has expanded its delivery services to Mecca.

According to the firm, the delivery service is already operational in Jeddah and Riyadh and will now be able to deliver to the 1.5 million people who live in Mecca.

From today, over 100 restaurants and outlets are available to order from within the city, including Al Baik, McDonalds, Maestro Pizza, Pizza Hut and Baskin Robbins among others. More outlets are being added every week.

Careem’s ride-hailing customers will be able to log in to the separate Careem NOW app with their existing Careem credentials. If they have a credit card registered with Careem it will be automatically linked, as will any saved addresses from the Careem ride-hailing app.

The Careem NOW app also has a smart reorder feature that enables users to repeat previous orders with one click, and follow the arrival of their orders in real time on an interactive map.

Adeeb Warsi, managing director, Careem NOW, said, “The people of Mecca are now able to enjoy the same Careem NOW service that’s already available in Jeddah and Riyadh. Only 15 percent of the food delivery market in our region currently operates via an app, but Careem NOW is changing that and enabling people in Mecca to order from a wide range of restaurants easily, and with rapid door-to-door delivery.”

He added, “The idea of having to call up a restaurant and read out a list of items, and hope it’s all written down correctly, are increasingly over – ordering by app is how the industry is moving. The younger generations are driving digital ordering – which in the US is growing three times faster than dine-in traffic – and it’s now increasingly available in the Middle East.”

The food delivery market in Careem NOW’s target countries is predicted to grow to around $25 billion by 2022. Careem already has over 33 million customers on the platform and an existing delivery system via the Careem app, so the service will be able to scale quickly to match potential demand.