Hala

What Hala does

Hala is a Dubai-based e-hailing taxi platform operated as the commercial brand of RTA Careem LLC, a joint venture between Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem Networks FZ-LLC. The company functions as a digital intermediary connecting riders with RTA-authorised taxi drivers (referred to as "Captains") employed by independent franchise operators, including Dubai Taxi Corporation, Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Arabia Taxi, Metro Taxi, and RAKTA. Hala does not own vehicles or employ drivers directly; it provides brand, captain coordination, and integration with the Careem mobile and web platform that handles booking, matching, GPS navigation, payments, and ratings.

The product portfolio spans four vehicle tiers: Hala Taxi (four-passenger sedan), Hala MAX (six-passenger with luggage space), Hala EV (Tesla electric vehicles), and Hala KIDS (ISO-fixed child-seat service for children up to 4 years). Hala also operates Hala Home, a captain support and training center in Al Quoz, Dubai, that has served more than 213,000 captains since 2022 with 11,000+ training sessions and a 2.7-minute average query response time. Total captain count exceeds 22,000 across Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, recruited from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Ghana, Guinea, Egypt, Cameroon and other countries, each with at least five years of driving experience.

Hala earns revenue on a transaction-fee/take-rate basis per ride booked through the Careem platform, with dynamic peak fare multipliers during high-demand periods and inter-emirate drop-offs supported. Pricing is regulated and city-specific (e.g., Dubai base fare AED 9 off-peak / AED 13 peak; AED 2.45/km; AED 0.5/minute). Customer segments include individual commuters, families with young children, tourists and visitors, and corporate clients using Careem enterprise accounts. The company recorded 9 million+ trips in 2022 (40% growth) and 36% trip growth in 2023, and in February 2026 signed a strategic MoU with VEON Ltd. to explore expanding the model into Pakistan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh.

Name

Hala

Legal name

RTA Careem LLC

Website

https://halaride.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hala is a Dubai-based e-hailing taxi platform and RTA-Careem joint venture connecting riders via the Careem app with over 22,000 taxi captains across Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah, offering Hala Taxi, MAX, EV, and KIDS tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ride-Hailing and Taxi Services

NAICS

Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Taxi and Ridesharing Services (48531), Taxi and Limousine Service (4853)

akta.pro primary industry

Delivery-Enabled Super-Apps with Ride-Hailing (Multi-Vertical Mobility Platforms) (TLAFAIAM)

Keywords

• Ride-hailing services
• Taxi booking
• App-based transit
• Airport transfer
• Corporate travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ride-Hailing Transaction Fees: Hala earns revenue by facilitating ride-hailing services through its Careem-integrated platform. Users pay for taxi rides via the Careem app or cash. Hala acts as an intermediary, collecting payments from users (via Careem Platform) and remitting to taxi franchise operators. Revenue is generated on a per-transaction basis with dynamic pricing during peak periods. Hala is not a transportation carrier; taxis are owned and operated by independent RTA-authorised taxi franchise companies.
2. Peak Period Surcharges: Dynamic peak fare multiplier applied during high-demand periods (rush hours, events, bad weather) adds to base fare revenue.
3. Partnership & Expansion Revenue: Hala is exploring expansion into VEON's frontier markets (Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh) through a strategic partnership, which could unlock new revenue streams by entering new geographies with 530 million people and 140 million monthly digital users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hala is a Dubai-based, app-based ride-hailing taxi service that connects riders with a fleet of 22,000+ RTA-authorised taxi captains via the Careem platform. It offers multiple ride categories including Hala Taxi (standard), Hala MAX (6-seater), Hala EV (electric vehicles) and Hala KIDS (child-seat equipped), operating across Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. The service is delivered through the Careem Super App and supported by a 24/7 Hala Home customer support center.

Product overview

Hala is Dubai's leading e-hailing taxi solution and joint venture between Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem, operating as a ride-hailing platform accessible exclusively through the Careem app. The product portfolio centers on the core Hala Taxi service for standard four-passenger sedans, supplemented by Hala MAX for larger groups (up to 6 passengers), Hala EV for eco-friendly electric vehicle rides (Tesla), and Hala KIDS for child-safe transportation with ISO-fixed child seats. Services are available in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah, with pickups in Dubai and RAK and drop-offs across all emirates. The offering extends to Hala Home, a dedicated captain support center providing technical assistance and training. Hala functions as an intermediary platform connecting users with taxi drivers (called Captains) employed by independent taxi franchise companies authorized by the RTA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hala Taxi: Standard taxi service combining app-based booking with traditional taxi convenience. Four-passenger sedan for daily commutes or city trips.
• Hala MAX
• Hala EV
• Hala KIDS

Products and services

• Hala Taxi Standard metered taxi ride-hailing service booked through the Careem app, serving individual riders across Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
• Hala MAX Six-seater vehicle category within the Hala fleet for groups of up to six passengers requiring extra seating capacity.
• Hala EV Electric-vehicle ride option within the Hala fleet offering environmentally-friendly taxi transport to riders who prefer low-emission travel.
• Hala KIDS Child-seat equipped taxi ride option within the Hala fleet, designed for families travelling with young children who require properly fitted car seats.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36% increase in trips recorded by Dubai's Hala Taxi
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• VEONflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026VEON Ltd., a Dubai-headquartered global digital operator serving 140 million monthly digital users across Pakistan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hala to explore expanding ride-hailing and mobility services across its frontier markets. The partnership aims to leverage Hala's operational expertise and scale in Dubai alongside VEON's digital platforms and local market presence to develop locally-rooted ride-hailing platforms in five markets collectively home to 530 million people. VEON brings its existing ride-hailing operations in Ukraine and Uzbekistan (through Uklon, acquired April 2025) to the partnership. Both companies plan to jointly assess commercial, operational, and technological foundations for expansion.
• Mr. Govinda's, Karachi Grills, Mian Jee, Costa CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 April 2023Hala partnered with these F&B brands to provide 11,000 Iftar meals to its captains during Ramadan 2023. Mr. Govinda's, Karachi Grills, Mian Jee, and Costa Coffee provided food and beverages for the 'Further Together' Iftar event attended by 500 captains, with participation from the Hala team, RTA, and taxi franchise partners.
• Careem Networks FZ-LLC (Careem)coreTechnology or IntegrationCareem Networks FZ-LLC is Hala's technology and platform partner, providing the mobile application, booking infrastructure, driver matching, GPS navigation (Google Maps/Earth integration), payment processing, and rating systems. Careem also serves as Hala's sub-processor for data processing. Careem Pay is the digital wallet integrated into the platform. The relationship is governed by Careem Platform's terms and conditions and privacy notices. Hala is a joint venture between Dubai's RTA and Careem Networks FZ-LLC.
• Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) DubaiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RTA Dubai is Hala's government joint venture partner and regulatory authority. RTA Careem LLC is the legal entity of the joint venture. The RTA authorises taxi franchise companies, regulates taxi operations, and handles safety/security matters. Hala's taxis are operated by RTA-authorised franchise companies including Dubai Taxi Corporation, Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Arabia Taxi, and Metro Taxi.
• Taxi Franchise Companies (Dubai Taxi Corporation, Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Arabia Taxi, Metro Taxi, RAKTA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHala partners with RTA-authorised taxi franchise companies who own the taxi fleet and employ the captains (drivers). These include Dubai Taxi Corporation (red-roof taxis), Cars Taxi (blue), National Taxi (yellow), Arabia Taxi (green), Metro Taxi (orange), and Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA). The franchises handle vehicle ownership, driver employment, and regulatory compliance while Hala provides the e-hailing platform through Careem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yango (Yandex Go): Multi-market ride-hailing product operating across CIS and parts of MENA; comparable as a cross-country ride-hailing operator with both taxi and private-car supply.
• Free Now: BMW- and Mercedes-backed European taxi-focused ride-hailing app, closely analogous to Hala in deep integration with licensed taxi fleets rather than only private cars. Same regulatory-taxi hybridization model.
• Bolt: Global ride-hailing and mobility platform operating across Europe, Africa, and parts of the Middle East; comparable as a multi-market app-based ride-hailing service targeting urban commuters.
• inDrive: Negotiation-based ride-hailing app active in 40+ countries including CIS/MENA markets relevant to Hala's VEON frontier-market push; comparable multi-geography ride-hailing peer.
• Gett: Taxi-focused ground mobility platform operating in Israel, UK, and Russia; comparable to Hala as a regulated-taxi e-hailing intermediary rather than a pure private-car rideshare marketplace.

Regional players

• ekar: UAE-based carshare and mobility subscription platform operating in the same emirates as Hala; comparable as a regionally specialized mobility operator contesting ride and access demand in Dubai and RAK.

Emerging players

• SWVL: MENA-focused mass-transit and ride-hailing platform operational in Egypt, Pakistan, and parts of the GCC; comparable as a regional emerging mobility operator overlapping with Hala's frontier-market expansion plans.

Broad incumbents

• Careem: Hala's platform partner and JV counterparty; the broader Careem super-app (food, delivery, multiple ride types) overlaps with Hala's taxi e-hailing on the same customer base, making it both enabler and competitor.
• Uber: Global ride-hailing incumbent that acquired Careem in 2019 and now runs competing Uber products on the same Careem app that powers Hala. Most direct large-scale competitor for UAE taxi- and rideshare demand.
• Lyft: US-headquartered ride-hailing incumbent; comparable as a large-scale app-based passenger mobility platform with similar driver-matching, dynamic pricing, and rating infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/halaride
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/halaride
• Instagraminstagram.com/hala_ride

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hala