Riyadh – Mubasher: Careem’s food delivery service “Careem NOW” on Sunday announced that it has expanded its services to Riyadh, expanding its platform beyond ride-hailing.

More than 100 restaurants and outlets will be available to order from at launch, the company said in a statement.

Restaurants include Hamburgini, Maestro Pizza, Kudu, Applebees, Fuddruckers, Marble Slab, Baskin-Robbins, and Jan Burger

The first phase will cover areas including Ash Shuhada, Ghirnatah, Al Izdihar, Al Mughrizat, Al Falah, Al Hamra, Al Yarmuk, Al Taawun, Qurtubah, and Al Wadi.

Careem NOW is offering 50% off (up to SAR 30) for new customers in Riyadh, according to the statement.

“The people of Riyadh are now able to enjoy the same Careem NOW service that we successfully launched in Jeddah back in December. Only 15% of the food delivery market in our region currently operates via the app, but Careem NOW enables users to order from a wide range of restaurants easily and with rapid door-to-door delivery,” Adeeb Warsi, managing director of Careem NOW, said.

Careem ride-hailing customers can log into the Careem NOW app with their existing Careem credentials.

The app has a smart reorder that enables users to repeat previous orders with one click and follow the arrival of their orders in real time on an interactive map.

“Customers are expecting a smoother and broader service than ever before. The idea of having to call up a restaurant and read out a list of items, and hope it’s all written down correctly, are increasingly over. Ordering by the app is how the industry is moving. The younger generations are driving digital ordering - which in the US is growing three times faster than dine-in traffic - and it’s a trend we believe is coming here,” Warsi added.

It is worth noting that Careem NOW's target countries is predicted to grow to around $25 billion by 2022.

Following Riyadh, Careem NOW will expand in Karachi, Pakistan and Amman, Jordan in the coming months