Careem partners with Bosch to launch in-ride entertainment service in the Middle East

• In collaboration with Robert Bosch Middle East FZE, Careem is set to launch in-ride entertainment service in June of this year
• 200 Careem cars in the Emirate of Dubai will be equipped with the new service as part of the initial launching phase

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 7, 2019: Careem, a ride-hailing provider in the Middle East, signed a memorandum of understanding with Robert Bosch Middle East FZE, a leading supplier of technology and services, to launch in-ride entertainment services. Set to launch on 200 Careem cars in Dubai in June 2019, the service will later expand to additional areas in the Middle East region.

Careem is aiming to enhance the customer experience during the ride by offering them access to a variety of tailor-made information and entertainment options. The new service will offer a program of music, shows and series as well as helpful information on available restaurants in the area, weather updates, and much more.

Bosch will enable personalization of this service with ‘iero’, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to create a unique experience for each Careem customer. ‘iero’ analyzes user preferences from multiple sources including purchase history, application usage and other behavioral indicators and pools this knowledge with Careem’s in-house applications. By combining Bosch’s AI-based personalization with Careem’s sharing service, the user always gets the matching entertainment content for each ride.

Volker Bischoff, General Manager and Vice President, Robert Bosch Middle East FZE, commented on the recent partnership and said: “At Bosch, our strategic objective is to continuously improve quality of life through innovative and connected products and services”. Bischoff added, “With Dubai leading the way in smart cities, a technology pioneer such as Careem is the ideal partner to further increase the ride-hailing customer experience in the Emirate and beyond”.

The innovative iero solution was developed by the Bosch’s subsidiary Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions. Vijay Ratnaparkhe, President and Managing Director of Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions said, “Bosch is developing mobility that is automated, connected, electrified, and personalized. By developing services for shared mobility, Bosch makes traveling from A to B not just easier and more flexible for users, but also more entertaining. We are happy to partner with Careem on this exciting venture”.

Adib Samara, Head of Business Development at Careem, added: “Careem is a homegrown brand set up to serve the MENA region, so across all our cities we seek out opportunities with local and international companies that have renowned reputations and whom customers trust. Working with a technology-oriented giant such as Bosch not only allows us to serve our customers better, but also help us provide seamless and differentiated, personalized in-ride customer experience. We are very excited to get this rolling and to see what the future holds”.

The in-ride entertainment service is set to launch in June of this year with 200 cars initially, and both partnering companies look forward to provide this service in a higher number of cars in the Emirate of Dubai in the future.

For media inquiries:

Hadil El Maki Communications Manager
Careem Gulf
Mail: hadil.elmaki@careem.com

Yasmine Abbas Corporate Communications Manager
Robert Bosch Middle East FZE
Mail: yasmine.abbas@ae.bosch.com

About Careem: Careem is the leading internet platform in the greater Middle East. A pioneer of the region’s ride-hailing economy, Careem is expanding services across its platform to include mass transportation, delivery, and payments. Careem’s mission is to simplify and improve the lives of people and build a lasting institution that inspires. Established in July 2012, Careem operates in 120 cities across 15 countries and has created more than one million job opportunities in the region. www.careem.com

About Robert Bosch Middle East: Robert Bosch Middle East FZE is a fully-owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, which has been operating in the Middle East for over 90 years. Robert Bosch Middle East sells automotive parts and equipment, power tools, thermotechnology, security systems, engineering and business solutions, drive & control technology, and household appliances to a broad customer base in the Middle East region. Additional information is available online at www.bosch-middleeast.com.

About Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions: Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Private Limited is a 100% owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, one of the world's leading global supplier of technology and services, offering end-to-end Engineering, IT and Business Solutions. With over 19,000 associates, it’s the largest software development center of Bosch, outside Germany, indicating that it is the Technology Powerhouse of Bosch in India with a global footprint and presence in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. www.bosch-india-software.com

About the Bosch Group: The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 410,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2018). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales from operations of 77.9 billion euros in 2018. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected manufacturing. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 125 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 69,500 associates in research and development.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com,www.iot.bosch.com, www.boschpress.com, www.twitter.com/BoschPresse.