Female passengers can opt to book rides exclusively with women Uber drivers
Discover Uber’s new woman-only driver service in Saudi Arabia
June 24, 2018 – It marks the first day women are permitted to drive on the roads in Saudi Arabia.
Seven years on, female passengers can soon choose to book rides exclusively with women drivers, all thanks to Uber.
The ride-hailing giant is launching a new service option called Women Drivers as part of Uber’s broader efforts to boost women’s participation in the workforce and the mobility sector while enhancing rider choice.
It may not be the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, but every safe ride that helps women feel comfortable and empowered still represents a step forward.
How the new Uber feature works
The option via the Uber app is available exclusively to female passengers, but it will be gradually available across Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks.
Functioning similarly to UberX, where it’s selectable from the product mini-list with comparable prices to UberX, the new feature allows women to either book on-demand trips or schedule them up to 30 minutes in advance using Uber Reserve.
The ride-share company also hopes the change will attract more women drivers by partnering with Alnahda Society, a leading non-profit organisation, through the Masaruky initiative, which has supported thousands of women in joining the workforce by helping them learn to drive and obtain a driver’s license.
Empowering women in Saudi Arabia
Uber will also launch its first GigSister programme in Saudi Arabia, creating a dedicated space for women drivers to connect, share experiences, and build a supportive local community. These initiatives demonstrate how Uber is extending beyond mobility to actively support the development and success of women across the Kingdom.
Over the years, Uber has launched several programmes in Saudi Arabia, from the Wusool initiative, which has provided over 20 million subsidised rides for women, to Women Rider Preference, allowing women drivers to choose whether they want to exclusively pick up women riders.
Images: Supplied
