Careem Pay breaks speed records with seven second international transfers to India
In 2025, Careem focused on making life easier and providing earning opportunities for millions throughout the region. The Everything App grew into new cities in the UAE and improved the reliability and speed of over 20 services, including food and grocery delivery, international money transfers, ride-hailing, and more.
Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and co-founder of Careem, commented: “In 2025, we stayed true to our purpose of simplifying lives across the region. We expanded into new cities, introduced new services, and made our platform more personalized and reliable through AI-powered tools. We’re grateful for the trust of our customers, captains, and partners. As we head into 2026, we remain focused on our purpose of simplifying the lives of people in the region and building a lasting institution.”
2025 highlights
- In 2025, Careem broadened its services in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Sharjah.
- Careem Quik became the exclusive provider of Fix Dessert Chocolatiere, known for the iconic ‘Dubai Chocolate’.
- Careem Pay extended its international remittance service to over 35 countries.
- Careem Plus members enjoyed average savings of AED375 per month, reflecting a 25 percent increase from 2024.
- New services launched included Box XL, Careem for Business, and expanded Home Cleaning options.
- Careem Food held its inaugural Careem Awards, honoring the restaurants that are shaping the food culture in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- Careem collaborated with the MAJRA National CSR Fund to support over 60,000 delivery captains during the summer across all platforms.
Careem Food
- In 2025, over 1.6 million burgers were delivered, averaging 4,400 burgers daily.
- There was a significant rise in matcha orders this year, increasing by 120 percent compared to 2024.
- One dedicated foodie placed 1,250 orders this year more than three per day.
- The quickest deliveries in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were completed in under 3 minutes.
- The largest single order exceeded AED1,600, featuring 15 Legendary Brisket Feasts from Mattar Farm truly an epic gathering.
- Breakfast emerged as the most popular cuisine in 2025.
- The peak ordering time remained between 7 and 8 PM.
- Careem Food introduced popular brands, including the exclusive launch of Al Beiruti, alongside Five Guys, Taqado, Little Caesars Pizza, Mandi Man, Bread Ahead, and more.
Careem Quik
- Careem became the first digital platform to collaborate directly with most local UAE farms, delivering fresh, handpicked produce to customers within 24 hours of harvest.
- For the third consecutive year, bananas were the top-ordered item for both men and women.
- Labubu collectors made an impact, with one customer ordering 10 Labubus for AED2,400.
- The largest FIX chocolate order reached AED19,800 for 50 boxes of the popular Dubai chocolate.
- The quickest grocery delivery took just 70 seconds to reach customers in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
- The largest single grocery order amounted to AED4,600, while one customer placed 41 separate orders in a single day.
- Sunday continued to be the busiest shopping day, with peak demand occurring between 7 and 8 PM.
Careem Pay
- Careem Pay achieved a new record for speed, completing a transfer to India in just 7 seconds
- Almost 20 percent of all transfers were finalized in under 60 seconds.
- One frequent sender made over 480 transfers to India this year, while another transferred a total of $620,000 to Pakistan in 2025.
- October was the busiest month for remittances, with 11 AM being the peak time to send money abroad.
Careem Plus
- Average monthly savings amounted to AED375, reflecting a 25 percent increase from 2024.
- This year’s most active member saved over AED18,200.
- The most frequently used services by Plus members included Careem Food, Careem Quik, and Careem Rides.
- One dedicated customer has maintained their membership for five straight years .
Careem DineOut
- Kitchen6 emerged as the year’s most popular restaurant for bookings.
- The highest individual dining bill amounted to AED41,600 at Jun’s, with the customer saving AED4,200 via Careem DineOut.
- An enthusiastic diner made 330 individual reservations for personal dining in 2025
Careem Rides
- In 2025, rides throughout the UAE totaled over 160 million kilometers enough to make the journey from Earth to the Moon and back more than 200 times.
- Some of the unusual items left behind in rides included two rolls of carpet and a guitar.
- The most frequently forgotten items were phones, AirPods, and wallets.
Careem Bike
- Riders accomplished 1.8 million trips, traveling over 7.8 million kilometers and offsetting 1,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
- Together, riders burned a total of 172 million calories in 2025.
- The most dedicated cyclist completed 2,090 trips this year, averaging 5 trips per day
- The busiest riding hours were from 5 to 6 PM, with January 11 marking the highest daily count at 11,000 trips.
Donations
- Approximately AED2.2 million was contributed to various charitable causes through Careem’s in-app donation feature across the UAE, Jordan, and KSA.
- The largest individual donations in the UAE amounted to AED10,000, benefiting both Dubai Cares and the World Food Programme for Gaza.
Captains and customers remained central to Careem’s success:
- Careem joined forces with the MAJRA National CSR Fund to assist over 60,000 delivery captains during the summer months on all platforms.
- Captain Balwant Singh achieved the highest number of deliveries in 2025, while Captain Muzammil Hussain continued as one of Careem’s longest-tenured delivery captains.
- Customer generosity was notable this year, with the biggest single tip reaching AED300 in Dubai.
- One customer tipped on 590 out of 680 orders, achieving 86 percent tip rate, while another tipped on 97 percent of all orders. All tips go directly to the captains.
Dubai customers can view their personal Careem trends for 2025 by opening the Careem app and selecting ‘Careem Moments’ on the home screen.
Source: economymiddleeast