Careem

Careem and partner MAJRA National CSR Fund announced on September 14, 2026 that they would expand the 'Rahma Pledge' -- previously a summer-only program providing air-conditioned rest areas, free health screenings and refreshments to delivery workers across the UAE, open to riders of any platform -- into a year-round initiative covering education and community engagement in addition to seasonal worker welfare. In its second summer (2026), the program operated 9 mobile rest areas with 358 seats (an 89% increase over 2025) and recorded over 100,000 worker visits, up from 86,000 in 2025, with partner contributions (PepsiCo, Nestle, Pakistan Association Dubai, Arla Foods and others) totaling AED 1.4 million. The initiative addresses acute heat and rest-access needs for migrant delivery riders but does not address the structural kafala-system and third-party-logistics labor issues documented separately by the Equidem 'Free to Be Exploited' report covering Careem-linked riders.

Careem and MAJRA (the UAE's National CSR Fund), together with corporate partners including Nestle and PepsiCo, announced plans to extend the Rahma Pledge - a program providing rest areas, hydration and healthcare support for delivery workers regardless of which platform they work for - beyond its original summer heat-safety run into a year-round initiative. The companies said the program drew more than 100,000 visits to rest areas over the preceding summer. Careem CEO Mudassir Sheikha and MAJRA CEO Sarah Shaw announced the expansion alongside UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.

An April 2026 report by labor rights group Equidem, based on 108 interviews with migrant food-delivery riders in Saudi Arabia and the UAE (from Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, Kenya, Nepal and Pakistan), found indicators of forced labor in 42% of cases across platforms including Careem (Uber), Talabat and HungerStation (Delivery Hero). Nearly all riders (99%) were hired through third-party logistics firms (3PLs) rather than directly by the platforms, and were bound to those same firms under Saudi Arabia's kafala sponsorship system, unable to change employer without consent and fearing retaliation, detention or deportation if they spoke out. The report documented wage theft, unpaid multi-month waiting periods before assignment, and injured riders receiving no medical coverage. It specifically flagged governance gaps at Careem: the company has no standalone human rights policy, and neither its Code of Conduct nor its Third-Party Code of Conduct explicitly protects freedom of association or collective bargaining. The report concluded that multinational platforms 'centralise control over food delivery markets while evading responsibility for the working conditions of riders hired through 3PLs.'