Is Lebanon ready for Uber and Careem?

Uber, a San Francisco-based mobile app connecting passengers with drivers for hire, now working in 140+ cities worldwide, launched in Beirut last Friday, its 6th city in the Middle East. The launch comes hot on the heels of Careem’s launch in the Lebanese capital last month, a startup with a similar model based in Abu Dhabi. Beirut is the 8th city in which Careem, the company Wamda once called the Uber of the Middle East, is now operational.

Uber and Careem are both betting that Beirutis will be as charmed with their business model – the taxi service of the 3G and GPS era – as have been Emiratis (and people all over the world). But the Lebanese use taxis a little differently from people in other countries; its taxi system has evolved to be complex and idiosyncratic. Given this, can the model work here?

The new wave of taxis

In one of the fastest expansions of global startups in the region, Uber entered the Arabic market in September 2013 using Dubai as a launchpad.

Like in all other cities, users order Uber and Careem cars through theirAndroidor iOS app, after opening an account and entering credit card information. It’s pretty simple: drop a pin on the map to indicate your location, request a pick up, and you’ll receive confirmation that your driver is on their way. You can even follow the path of the car coming to get you. The ride is also directly billed to your credit card so there is no need for cash (although Careem offers users a cash-pay option).