Is Careem working in Pakistan? What changed and what to book instead

Short answer: no. If you are asking “is Careem working in Pakistan” because the green app is still on your phone from Dubai or Riyadh, the ride-hailing side is closed. Careem announced on 18 June 2025 that it would suspend its ride-hailing service in Pakistan, and rides stopped on 18 July 2025, according to Dawn’s report of the announcement. Customer support for leftover issues ran for a further two months. The app may still open and your Gulf account may still sign in, but it will not dispatch a car in Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad.

What replaces it depends on what you actually used Careem for. For a late-night airport arrival with family and four suitcases, the sensible replacement is a prebooked, named driver arranged before you fly. For a short hop across town, a local app can work if you have a Pakistani SIM and cash. For a day trip or an intercity run, you want a quoted, confirmed car with the route agreed in writing. The rest of this guide maps each use case, sets out what the UK and US governments say about taxis and apps, and gives you a checklist for vetting any operator before you pay.

Is Careem working in Pakistan today? The dated status check

Here is the timeline as reported, so you can see exactly where the facts come from.

• October 2015: Careem entered Pakistan and ran rides there for close to a decade (Dawn).
• 18 June 2025: Careem announced the end of ride-hailing in Pakistan. Co-founder and CEO Mudassir Sheikha pointed to “the challenging macroeconomic reality, intensifying competition, and global capital allocation” as the reasons it could not justify the investment needed (reported by Dawn and Gulf News).
• 18 July 2025: ride-hailing ceased.
• Until 18 September 2025: Careem Care support stayed open to settle outstanding issues, and users holding wallet balances were told they would receive instructions to reclaim funds (Dawn).

So “careem left pakistan” is accurate for rides, but not quite the whole story. The same reports say Careem Technologies, the separate engineering and product unit, kept around 400 staff in Pakistan working on the company’s wider “Everything App”. That is a technology operation, not a taxi service. For a traveller, the practical meaning is simple: there is no Careem car to call in any Pakistani city.

If you have seen a social post claiming Careem is back, check the date and the source. At the time of writing we have found no announcement of a relaunch. A genuine return would be a company announcement reported by the national business press, not a forwarded screenshot.

Does Careem work in Pakistan for anything a visitor needs?

Not for transport. People searching “does careem work in pakistan” or “is careem available in pakistan” usually want one of three things: a car from the airport, a quick ride across the city, or a reliable driver for a day. None of those runs through Careem in Pakistan now. If you still have a wallet balance from the Pakistani service, the reclaim process was set out in the 2025 announcement; contact Careem directly through the app’s help section rather than through third parties offering to “recover” balances for a fee.

What Gulf residents used Careem for, and what fills each gap

A large share of the people still asking whether there is a “careem service in pakistan” live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Qatar, where the app is part of daily life. Back home for Eid, a wedding or a family emergency, the habit was to land, open the same app and go. That habit now needs a plan. The table below maps each old use case to what actually works.

The pattern is obvious once it is laid out: the more people, luggage and time pressure involved, the less sense an on-demand app makes, and the more you gain from agreeing details in advance. The single-rider city hop is the only row where an app is a natural fit, and even that comes with conditions.

What the UK and US governments say about taxis and apps in Pakistan

This is the part most “alternatives to Careem” lists skip, and it matters more than any feature comparison. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is blunt in its Pakistan safety and security advice: it tells British travellers to avoid street taxis, e-taxis and online taxi apps, and to use only reputable, licensed companies where you call for a taxi and the operator contacts a driver. The same page advises avoiding public transport, including the Metro Bus between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and warns that British nationals of Pakistani origin have been targeted by criminals, including kidnappers, because they are often perceived as wealthier than locals.

The US State Department’s Pakistan country page takes a similar line. Pakistan sits at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel”, and travellers are told to remain cautious if using taxis or online ride-hailing; US government employees are barred from using taxis and rideshare altogether for security reasons.

Two things follow for anyone replacing Careem:

1. The operator model is the one the FCDO describes. A company you contact, which then assigns a driver and tells you who is coming, fits the advice. Flagging a car on the street does not.
2. Where you are going matters as much as how. The FCDO’s main Pakistan page advises against all travel to Balochistan, most of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar, parts of the Karakoram Highway and areas near the Afghan border and the Line of Control, and against all but essential travel to places including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, northern Sindh and Dera Ghazi Khan. No choice of car changes that. Check the current map before planning any road journey outside the main Punjab and Islamabad corridor, and remember that travel against FCDO advice can affect your insurance.

Other ride apps in Pakistan, and their limits for visitors

Careem’s exit did not leave the market empty. Two app-based services have been operating in Pakistan in recent years; check each one’s current coverage in your city before relying on it:

• inDrive was operating in Pakistan by 2021 and, according to reporting cited in its Wikipedia entry, became the country’s most downloaded ride-hailing app within a year. Its model differs from Careem’s: the passenger proposes a price, drivers can counter-offer, and the passenger pays the driver directly, in cash or otherwise.
• Yango made its ride-hailing service available in Pakistan in 2023.

We are not going to rank them, and we have no reason to run anyone down. The honest point is about fit. These apps are built for residents with a local number, local cash and time to haggle. For a visitor, the friction shows up in predictable places:

• Phone verification. Sign-up normally relies on an SMS code. A Gulf or UK number on roaming may or may not receive it, and roaming data is expensive. A Pakistani SIM solves this, but buying and registering one takes time on arrival day, and the rules for visitors’ SIMs and phones change, so confirm the current process with the network before you count on it.
• Price negotiation. Proposing a fare works when you know the going rate for a 12 km run across Lahore. Fresh off a long flight, most people do not.
• Vehicle size. A family of five with luggage needs a people carrier or two cars. On-demand apps rarely let you guarantee that in advance.
• The official advice. As above, both the UK and US advisories flag caution with online ride-hailing.

If you want a side-by-side of how an operator booking differs from app hailing on price certainty, driver details and support, our comparison of iDrive against Uber and inDrive in Pakistan sets it out in more detail.

Paying without a local SIM or a Pakistani bank card

Careem’s wallet and saved Gulf card made payment invisible. In Pakistan that convenience has gone, and the payment question deserves a decision before you fly rather than at the kerb.

The US State Department’s money guidance is a useful reality check: city ATMs work with US bank cards but may often be out of service, charge high fees or limit withdrawals; only a few establishments take credit cards, usually with a large surcharge; and you should be prepared to pay in cash. None of that is a reason to panic, but it does shape the choice:

• App rides often end in cash to the driver. You need rupees in small notes from the moment you walk out of arrivals.
• A prebooked operator can settle the price in writing before travel. How and when you pay depends on the operator’s terms, so read them. Whatever the method, you want the amount, what it covers, and the cancellation terms in writing before any money moves.
• Relatives paying locally is common for overseas families. If someone at home is handling the booking, make sure the confirmation still carries your name and flight, and that the driver has your number, not only theirs.

A simple rule: carry enough cash for a first meal, a bottle of water and a tip, even if the car is arranged. Everything else can be planned.

Airport arrivals: prebooked versus in-app

Most people who miss Careem miss it at the airport. Take a hypothetical example: a family flying Dubai to Lahore on an evening flight, landing after dark with parents in their seventies, a child and heavy bags. With an app, the sequence is: clear immigration, collect bags, find a signal, verify a number, request a ride, agree a fare, then find the car somewhere in the pickup area. Every step can go wrong, and each failure happens with tired people standing outside.

With a prebooked transfer, the sequence is shorter because the work happened days earlier: the operator already has the flight number, the passenger count and the bag count, and has told you who the driver is and where to meet. If the flight is late, the plan moves with it.

For the pickup mechanics at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and the other main airports, see our Pakistan airport transfers page. If you are flying from the Gulf specifically, sort out contact details before boarding; our sister service Pakistan Taxi’s guide to connecting your Gulf flight with your pickup plan walks through it.

How to check an operator before you pay

Once Careem’s brand is out of the picture, you are judging operators on evidence rather than on a familiar logo. The FCDO’s wording is the right starting point: a reputable company that you contact, which then dispatches a driver. Here is what that looks like in practice.

1. A real business identity. A company name, a working website with terms and a privacy policy, and a contact route that someone answers. A mobile number alone is not a company.
2. A written quote that says what it covers. Pickup and drop-off points, vehicle type, passenger and bag count, waiting time, tolls and parking. If it is silent on those, ask before you agree.
3. Driver details before the day. Name, vehicle make and registration, and a contact number, shared in advance. You should know who you are looking for at arrivals.
4. Clear cancellation and change terms. Flights move. You need to know what happens if yours does, and whether a deposit is refundable.
5. A named contact for problems. Someone other than the driver you can call if the car is late or the plan changes.
6. No pressure to pay a stranger. Be wary of anyone asking for a transfer to a personal account with no booking record, or claiming to be “Careem’s replacement”. There is no official successor.

If an operator passes all six, you have something close to what the government advice describes. If it fails two or more, keep looking.

Booking from Dubai, Riyadh or Doha: a practical sequence

For Gulf residents the timing is the tricky bit: you are planning from abroad, often around a short leave window. A sequence that works:

1. Book flights first, then note the flight number, scheduled arrival time and terminal.
2. Count people and bags honestly. Family visits often travel heavy with gifts; give the real number of large cases, because it decides the vehicle.
3. Send the details to the operator and ask for a written quote with the checklist above in mind. Our page on booking a Pakistan car from Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar explains what information to include.
4. Wait for confirmation of the vehicle and driver before you treat it as settled. A request is not a booking until the operator confirms it.
5. Share the confirmation with whoever is meeting you or expecting you at home.
6. Check the FCDO page again in the week you travel. Advice on protests, road closures and regional risk changes, and the page is updated frequently.

If your travel also runs through Saudi Arabia, for example Umrah before or after a Pakistan visit, the same “Careem habit” question comes up there in a different form. Our sister company Saudi Cab Co has written a separate comparison of its service against Careem business accounts for company travel in the Kingdom.

City hops, day hire and intercity: matching the car to the trip

Airport runs get the attention, but most of a family visit is made of smaller movements: a morning at the in-laws in Rawalpindi, an afternoon at a Lahore market, a dinner across town. This is where people most often ask whether Careem is still working in Pakistan, because it was the app they reached for without thinking.

Three workable patterns replace that reflex:

Driver by the hour or by the day

If you have four or five stops in one day, a car that waits for you is usually simpler than repeated short rides. You avoid re-hailing at each stop, your shopping stays in the boot, and elderly relatives are not left standing on a pavement. Agree the start time, the approximate hours and what happens if the day runs long.

Scheduled single journeys

For a known trip at a known time, such as a wedding venue at 7pm or a hospital appointment, book it the day before. It removes the evening scramble when demand is highest and roads are slowest.

Intercity by motorway

Islamabad to Lahore, Lahore to Faisalabad or Multan: these are motorway runs where a confirmed private car with a set route beats improvising. Ask whether tolls are included, how long the driver will wait at the destination, and whether the return is priced separately. The FCDO describes local driving standards as erratic, especially at night, and urges care on long cross-country journeys, so daylight departures are the calmer choice.

Next step

If you already know your dates, the quickest route is to send your flight or journey details through the iDrive booking request page. A request is not a booking: the team reviews availability and replies, and nothing is settled until a price, vehicle and driver are confirmed back to you in writing. If you are still weighing up options, keep the operator checklist above to hand; it works for any company you consider.

Questions people ask

Is Careem still working in Pakistan in any form?

Not for rides. Ride-hailing ended on 18 July 2025. Careem Technologies kept an engineering team in Pakistan working on its wider app, but that is not a transport service you can book.

Why did Careem leave Pakistan?

Its CEO cited the challenging macroeconomic reality, intensifying competition and global capital allocation, saying these made the level of investment needed to keep the service running no longer justifiable.

Can I use my UAE or Saudi Careem account in Pakistan?

You may be able to open the app, but it will not dispatch a car in Pakistan. Plan an alternative before you travel.

Are ride-hailing apps safe for visitors in Pakistan?

The UK FCDO advises avoiding online taxi apps and using reputable companies that dispatch a driver after you call. The US State Department advises caution. Read both before you decide.

What is the best replacement for Careem at the airport?

A prebooked transfer with a confirmed driver, vehicle and meeting point, arranged with your flight number before you fly.