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‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan

‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan
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‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan

‘Uber Taxi’ Launched in Jordan

Uber Jordan today has announced the launch of taxi-hailing service ‘Uber Taxi’ in the country. Jordan is the first country in the Middle East to get Uber Taxi. Careem that was recently acquired by Uber recently, however, has taxi-hailing services in many of its markets in the region including Jordan.

Uber in a statement said that the launch of Uber Taxi in Jordan is a testament to Uber’s support of the public transport sector in the nation, as well as its efforts to make transportation even more accessible to residents and visitors alike.

The statement also noted that Uber Taxi has expanded company’s network of vehicles in the country and will provide new economic opportunities for taxi drivers who will have access to more trips.

The announcement comes almost two weeks after Uber’s acquisition of its rival Careem but apparently the launch has nothing to do with Careem already having the option to hail taxis in Jordan as the two companies are not expected to have any integration until the deal is closed.

The base fare of UberX, Uber’s low-cost car type and Uber Taxi is same, JOD 0.5 ($0.71) but the taxi is relatively cheaper than Uber X as the per KM charges for Uber Taxi are set at JOD 0.130 compared to Uber X’s JOD 0.140 and per minute charges on Uber Taxi are JOD 0.050 whereas Uber X charges JOD 0.060.

Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Vice President of Uber operations in Europe, Middle East & Africa, commenting on the launch, said, “I am honored to announce the arrival of Uber Taxi in Jordan, and we are excited to be tapping into local modes of transport so that more riders and drivers can benefit from our technology. Jordan is a fast growing market, especially in the smart transport services sector, and through this launch, we aim to move towards our goal of becoming a multi-modality platform,”

“Furthermore, we hope that this will galvanize the development of transportation services in Jordan, and provide taxi drivers new opportunities to reap the economic benefits by using our technology to maximize their earning potential through the option of pairing with the closest Uber Taxi rider in addition to traditional street hailing,” he added.

Uber Taxi can be accessed through the regular Uber app as another car option by the users in Jordan. The company already has on-boarded hundreds of taxi drivers who are ready to start accepting the trips.

The taxi drivers, per the statement, will receive the same privileges provided to all Uber drivers and will be charged a reduced service fee.

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Saudi Arabia's Digital Advertising Boom: Addressing Economic Leakage, Boosting Local Content

A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia's Digital Advertising Boom: Addressing Economic Leakage, Boosting Local Content

A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s digital advertising sector is experiencing rapid growth, but a significant portion of its revenues is leaking to foreign platforms. To maximize the impact on the national economy, experts are calling for strategies to curb this outflow and redirect it to local channels.

The importance of retaining digital ad revenues lies in the substantial size of this market. It is estimated that approximately $1 billion in ad spent is lost annually to foreign platforms, representing a considerable loss to Saudi Arabia’s economy.

Dr. Ebada Al-Abbad, CEO of Marketing and Communications at Tadafuq, a Saudi digital advertising network, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the problem stems from the fact that although advertisers, products, and audiences are often local, the largest share of financial gains goes to foreign platforms. He estimated that 70-80% of the $1.5 billion spent on digital advertising in Saudi Arabia in 2022 went to global platforms such as Google and Facebook. This results in the national economy losing nearly $1 billion annually from this sector alone.

Al-Abbad noted that government agencies in Saudi Arabia also contribute to the outflow. He explained that public sector spending on digital advertising, intended to raise awareness among citizens and residents, frequently ends up on foreign platforms. Government spending makes up about 20-25% of the total digital ad market in the Kingdom, meaning hundreds of millions of riyals leave the country annually, weakening the local digital economy.

Al-Abbad argues that Saudi Arabia needs strong local digital ad networks to keep this revenue within the national economy. These networks would help create jobs, drive innovation, and promote cultural diversity in digital content. Developing local platforms would also enhance Saudi Arabia’s digital sovereignty by ensuring that data remains within the country and is not controlled by foreign entities.

Moreover, local networks would reduce dependence on international platforms, ensuring that the economic benefits of digital advertising remain in the Kingdom, he said, stressing that this would align with Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 goals, which emphasize building a robust, diversified economy driven by local industries and digital transformation.

Globally, the digital advertising sector is growing rapidly. In 2022, worldwide spending on digital ads reached $602 billion, and it is projected to hit $876 billion by 2026. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the digital ad market grew to $5.9 billion in 2022, with Saudi Arabia’s market accounting for over $1.5 billion.

In other countries, the digital ad sector plays a crucial role in boosting national economies. For example, in the United States, the digital advertising industry contributed $460 billion to the GDP in 2021, about 2.1% of the total. In the UK, the sector accounted for 1.8% of GDP in 2022. This shows how important digital advertising can be in driving economic growth.

One of the key challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s digital ad sector is the dominance of global platforms like Google and Facebook, which control 60% of the global digital ad market, Al-Abbad told Asharq Al-Awsat. This dominance results in a significant outflow of revenue and allows these platforms to control digital data and content. He warned that this could undermine Saudi Arabia’s national sovereignty over its digital economy.

To counter this, he emphasized that Saudi Arabia needs to build competitive local networks that can retain a larger share of the market. This will not only keep more revenue in the country but also strengthen the Kingdom’s control over its digital data and content.