Uber, the global taxi-hailing app, revealed on Sunday that over 31 million riders took trips using the app since its launch in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
According to the “Uber MENA: 2021 in Numbers” report, 703,000 drivers in Egypt, 530,000 in Saudi Arabia and 18,000 in the UAE made trips since the service was launched.
It said 2021 continued to be “dramatically shaped by the ever-evolving global pandemic.”
“As everyone adapted to this new normal, people continued to use Uber in all different ways to suit their changing needs - whether it be from their homes, on their holidays, at their place of work, and everywhere in between.”
The roll out of vaccines and relaxing of some restrictions over the course of the year meant that international travel became an option again for many, the report read, noting that the app saw an increase in the number of people commuting into offices and places of work again.
It revealed some of its key travel trends from 2021.
The year’s number one rider was from Saudi Arabia and topped the charts with an impressive 1,706 trips in 2021 - taking on average four trips a day.
Drivers have been busy too, it stressed, noting that the top drivers made thousands of trips through the app, such as 7,613 in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, 6,978 in Cairo, and 4,244 in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Uber Bus reached another milestone and witnessed growth of 2.4% compared to 2020 as it continued to facilitate affordable trips for commuters across Cairo.
The report underscored Uber’s role in supporting the community through the coronavirus pandemic, as riders have taken more than 126,355 free or discounted trips through the app to and from COVID-19 vaccination centers.
Tourist hot spots in the Middle East were popular trip destinations. The Boulevard in Riyadh is considered one of the top destinations in the Kingdom. Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, was also popular, racking up 319,596 trips, as well as the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt with 14,747 trips.
