The announcement of a trio of Pakistan centric vacancies on Uber’s career page spurred rumors that the on-demand firm is going to enter the local market. Eagle eyed netizens spotted job ads for a General Manager, Marketing Manager and Operations and Logistics Manager.
Now, it’s been officially confirmed by Shaden Abdellatif, who’s the communications manager for Uber’s Middle East and Africa operations in an emailed statement to ValueWalk.
We can confirm we are currently recruiting for a team in Lahore, and are very excited about launching in Pakistan as we see huge potential in the way we can help people move around their city safely and reliably.
We are also excited about the opportunity for economic empowerment we can bring to the drivers we partner with.
If we’re being candid, Uber coming to Pakistan was only a matter of time. With over 120 million phone users, growing 3G/4G subscriptions that have reached 18 million in just 18 months and increased awareness hints that companies like Uber have a case in Pakistan.
The company recently announced a $1 billion investment into neighboring India and there are similarities between our two markets.
More importantly, the emergence of services like Travly indicates that Pakistan is ready for a major disruption when it comes to transport.
We anticipate that Uber will start its operations in Pakistan with Lahore initially, however, more cities will be added into Uber coverage down the line.
It is yet to be seen if Uber will maintain its own fleet of cars with in-house drivers in Pakistan, or masses will be invited to join Uber with their own cars as its native model that’s practiced all over.
Uber, which provides on-demand rides via a smartphone app, is one of the most valuable private companies in the world. Most recently, it conducted a funding round exceeding $1 billion, becoming the second company after Facebook to exceed $50 billion valuation before going public. In five years, it has expanded to 58 countries and 300 cities.