Uber has partnered with Takamol Holding, which runs Wusool, a system created by Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), to empower working Saudi women and offer them access to inexpensive transport. The biggest subsidized transport program ever by Uber encourages women in the Kingdom to play their role in the country’s economy. This is also in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Talking about their plans, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, VP & Regional General Manager EMEA, Uber stated: “Uber is a conscientious company that strives to uplift the communities it operates in. We are expanding exponentially within the Middle East and North Africa region, with Saudi Arabia being one of our fastest-growing markets. At Uber, we will continue supporting the government’s focus on Saudization and the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to increase women’s participation in the workforce”.
“Through this partnership with Takamol Holding for “Wusool”, which is Uber’s largest subsidized transport
program globally, we are able to provide women with the opportunity to achieve their professional ambitions, as well as strive to be catalysts for economic growth in the Kingdom with their active contribution to the overall workforce”, added Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty.
Dr. Ahmed Al Yamani, CEO Takamol added: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Uber, a leader in the ride-hailing industry. This partnership will provide Saudi women with access to transportation solutions to and from their workplace, which falls under one of the strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, that aims to enable members of the community to enter the workforce and bolster it under the National Transformation Program. Approximately 25,000 women currently benefit from the program and we aim for more to join them by the end of the year 2019”.
To get a partially funded “Wusool” ride, there is a certain criterion for Saudi-women. They must be between the age of 18 and 65, working in a private organization and getting a salary of up to a maximum of SAR 8,000 per month. Interested women can apply via Taqat, which is the National Labor gateway run by HRDF.
The goal of Uber and Takamol is to improve women’s participation in the workforce by providing them convenient transport solutions to and from their office in addition to offering them work opportunities in the transport sector.
This association is part of Uber’s Masaruky (“your path” in Arabic) initiative, which aims at improving women’s mobility in the country. With the “Masaruky” program, Uber plans to invest SAR 1 million to aid chosen women via driving schools. Recently, Uber has allowed its women drivers in the Kingdom to give rides to women only. This feature is only available in Saudi Arabia at the moment.