Careem will suspend its ride-hailing service operations in Pakistan from July after nearly a decade in the industry, its CEO announced on Wednesday, adding that its journey in the country would continue “in a different role”.

Mudassir Sheikha, Careem’s CEO and co-founder, shared a post on LinkedIn announcing “a new chapter” for the company.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share this update: Careem will suspend its ride-hailing service in Pakistan on July 18,” Sheikha said, adding that it was “an incredibly difficult decision.”

“The challenging macroeconomic reality, intensifying competition, and global capital allocation made it hard to justify the investment levels required to deliver a safe and dependable service in the country.

“In the end, the Careem Rides team had to make this tough call,” he said.

He called the ride suspension “the end of an iconic chapter — one built with purpose, grit and a ton of relentless hustle”.

Sheikha highlighted some of Careem’s notable achievements while operating in Pakistan, including safe rides on demand, women travelling with strangers, and smartphones and digital payments for everyday use.

“The challenges were real and formidable. But our Pakistan team was brilliant and fearless — bold, determined, and literally on a mission to create millions of jobs for captains across the country,” he said.

He lauded his team for building a service that millions of Pakistanis relied on “to move and earn”.

“They delivered significant public goods: digital infrastructure, trust, regulation, capability, confidence — all of which paved the way for countless local and global digital ventures to take root in Pakistan.”

Sheikha added that “while ride-hailing is sunsetting, Careem’s journey in Pakistan continues in a different role.

“Careem Technologies (the spinout building the Everything App) will continue to build from Pakistan for the region.”

Sheikha said that nearly 400 Careem employees from across all functions, including engineering, are building the Everything App and its ecosystem of verticals (food/grocery delivery, payments, and more).

“This presence is only set to grow, with over 100 open roles and the expansion of our Falcon/NextGen programme that brings in top graduates from Pakistani universities and gives them hands-on training on building highly scalable systems,” Sheikha elaborated.

“Pakistan is in Careem’s DNA — our first line of code was written here, and the country remains a rich source of innovation and talent for us,” he said.

The company said Careem Care will be available till September 18 to help users with any pending issues or questions, according to an update sent to a Dawn.com staffer who uses the app.

“If you have remaining balance in your Careem Wallet, we’ll be in touch soon with clear instructions on how to reclaim it,” the update said.

In April 2024, Uber made the decision to cease operating its ride-hailing app in Pakistan, saying: “Our subsidiary brand Careem will continue to operate, with the Careem app offering ride-hailing services across Pakistan and earning opportunities for drivers.”

Careem officially entered the Pakistani market in October 2015, offering an app, a website and a helpline where customers could order rides. It operates in 12 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, Turkiye and Pakistan.