Careem—Equidem investigation found Careem-linked migrant delivery riders in Saudi Arabia and UAE faced kafala-based debt bondage, wage theft and forced-labor indicators
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.'
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gig Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Supply Chain Ethics | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.322 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
Equidem's 'Free to Be Exploited' report documents forced-labor indicators among Careem-linked migrant delivery riders in Saudi Arabia and UAE
Equidem's April 2026 report, based on 108 rider interviews, found 42% of surveyed migrant food-delivery riders in Saudi Arabia and the UAE showed indicators of forced labor. It criticized Careem/Uber's governance specifically, noting the company lacks a standalone human rights policy and that its conduct codes omit explicit protection for freedom of association or collective bargaining, while 99% of riders were employed via third-party logistics firms operating under the kafala sponsorship system.