Careem Rides users were losing confidence.

The challenge

90 million trips a year, but customers were losing confidence. Cancellations rose. Trust fell. Growth slowed.

The emotional landscape

It’s about being a Doctor at home on call, relying on Careem when you need to get to the hospital during an emergency.

Routes don’t reveal reasons

Pickup cancellations, lost drivers and inconsistent quality undermined reliability and trust, and impacted revenue.

Falling confidence in our services

Rides was frozen in time. But customers weren’t.

Competitor services were becoming more sophisticated and more personal. Nothing set Careem apart and people were leaving.

Transform the original rides experiences from a utility to a platform that respects time, attention & intent.

Key hypothesis

  • Mapped the stress points – I analysed journeys, cancellations, and call-centre data.

  • Immersed in the field – I spoke with riders and captains, shadowed live trips.

  • Rebuilt journeys – I designed predictive, AI-driven experiences that adapted to real routines.

  • Aligned the org – I partnered with product and ops to embed this into the super app strategy.

We made sure we focused on the right solutions at scale.

A solution for 10 markets

Hours interviewing and user testing with data gathered across 15 user segments and 6 key cities.

1000+

250+

Hypotheses tested and validated to understand the things that really matter to customers.

Journeys mapped across real behaviours and situational states, not just tasks.

56

140

Features redesigned and touchpoints upgraded for usability and business impact.

From discreet services and separate flows, to a consolidated mobility homepage.

  • Unifying 7 mobility services into a single entry-point.

  • No more “select a service” confusion.

  • One screen, one starting point, focused on you.

  • Filling gaps that customers were crying out for

  • Improved search experience and smarter defaults

  • Opening hours of locations to avoid disappointment

(Finally) adding multi-stop rides to stay competitive and improve retention.

  • Airport, mall and venue directions got smarter

  • Leave notes on locations and for drivers

  • Updated walking instructions to remove confusion

  • Intelligent location defaults to save time and money

Improved location logic reduced pick-up cancellations by 23%

  • Adding 72 extra safety features

  • Introducing profiles into the super-app

  • View all trips and profiles in one place.

  • Predictive routes and mobility suggestions

More ways to be in control

The transformation delivered wins for the product, users & the business.

The impact

Increase in rides completions within first month

12%

23%

Fewer pick-up related cancellations

CSAT gains tied directly to reliability

95%

140

features updated to give control, not confusion

What began as fixing confidence in Rides became the baseline for Careem’s multi-service future.

  • I Defined product strategy with leadership

  • I ran field and user research across multiple markets

  • I designed predictive, AI-driven flows and new service logic

  • I partnered with ops, engineering, and product to embed into the super app

My impact

If you’re tackling complexity at scale and need to turn transactions into trust, let’s talk.

luke@makeitaconversation.com