Careem has accelerated plans to build its engineering capacity in the region through the establishment of a new tech hub in Pakistan, in addition to the engineering pool working in UAE and Germany. Establishment of a new tech hub will help bring Careem one step closer to its vision of developing a Super App in the region, combining all aspects of a consumer’s world from transport, deliveries and payments on a single app.
With a strong brand identity and a large customer base in Pakistan, developing engineering talent within the country can help focus on providing solutions to local problems. Careem has close to 400 engineers working on the platform at its headquarters in Dubai, and across R&D centers located in Berlin and Karachi. The target for the next 12-18 months is to staff up to 100 new engineers, primarily in Karachi and Lahore, in an effort to create an internationally recognized tech hub in Pakistan.
With the first lines of Careem code written in Karachi, Pakistan has always been a key hub for Careem’s tech talent. Careem will continue to invest in the country to attract premium engineering talent that can help make its Super App vision a reality.
Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and CEO of Careem commented:
Pakistan​ holds a special significance for Careem – it’s where our first engineers were based and where the first line of code for our platform was written. Together with our hubs in Berlin and Dubai, it is now one of our three main homes for tech. The talent on the ground in Pakistan is plentiful and with our new tech hub in Lahore, we welcome budding engineers to come and help us problem-solve for the region.
Pakistan has long been an exporter of engineering talent at Careem and other tech players, not just in the region but globally. With Pakistani talent finding a home in organizations like Careem, it is time that Pakistan becomes recognized as a country that can host the best engineers the world has to offer.
Capacity building of engineering talent in Pakistan will commence from November 1, 2019, with a new tech site being established in Lahore and talent from across the world joining the Careem family in both Karachi and Lahore.
Tafseer ul Islam Siddiqui, Head of Engineering in Karachi will be focusing on efforts to increase engineering capacity.
Establishment and strengthening of its tech centers in Berlin, Dubai and Pakistan are important steps in cementing Careem’s position as a tech org focused on changing the way people use the internet in the region.
Careem is also planning to launch its food delivery service in Pakistan. Careem partners with local restaurants and their menu items are displayed on their native app for customers to order.