Digital Boom

Category: Tech

  • ‘Facebook Dating’ rolls out in Colombia

    ‘Facebook Dating’ rolls out in Colombia

    Facebook will begin testing its new feature for dating and relationships in Colombia today.

    Originally announced in F8 last May, ‘Facebook Dating’ will be available for users who are 18 and above. Unlike Tinder, it’s free of cost, and doesn’t include any advertisements or premium features.

    Facebook Dating will be available within the mobile app and won’t be available for desktop.

    Facebook executives say that there’re 200 million people on Facebook who identify themselves as “single.” That’s a relatively small percentage of Facebook’s 2.2 billion total monthly users, but a huge potential audience for a dating site.

    This is a bad news for Tinder.

    Tinder has 3.8 million paying users. Making $800 million a year from Tinder Gold subscription service. Facebook could top that number if they open for monetization. With just 2 percent of its 200 million “single” users, Facebook could be the world’s number one dating site.

    Facebook makes $40 billion from advertising, represents 99% of the company’s revenues. Will that change soon?

    How Facebook Dating Works…

    Facebook Dating allows people to create a dating profile that is separate from their Facebook profile — and potential matches will be recommended based on dating preferences, things in common and mutual friends.

    They’ll have the option to discover others with similar interests through their Groups or Events. However, what people do within the dating feature will not be shown to their friends.

  • Vezeeta raises $12 million from Saudi Technology Ventures

    Vezeeta raises $12 million from Saudi Technology Ventures

    Egyptian digital healthcare startup Vezeeta has raised a $12 million Series C funding round led by Saudi Technology Ventures (STV).

    Vezeeta is a digital healthcare booking platform and practice management software. Patients are able to search, compare, and book the best doctors in just few minutes. Doctors also provide Patients with more organized healthcare experiences through the clinic management software.

    Vezeeta has managed three million bookings in the region, served 2.5 million patients and connected more than 10,000 doctors in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

    Crunchbase estimates the total funds Vezeeta raised since launched in 2013 with $22.5 million. According to Crunchbase, Vezeeta had raised over $1,3 million in 2013 (Series A), 2.6 million in 2014 then 6.5 million in 2017 (Series B), followed by today’s (Series C) investment.

    Amir Barsoum, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Vezeeta said:

    “We are thrilled to see STV leading this round, we could not find a better investment team or strategic partner to help us take Vezeeta to its next stage in the region. We also welcome to our prominent investors profile CE-Ventures, and we are proud to receive the continuous support from our current investors BECO Capital, Vostok New Ventures and Silicon Badia.”

    STV partner Hani Enaya said “We love to support high-calibre founders who are transforming major industries.”

    “Upon meeting Amir and Vezeeta’s management team, it was immediately apparent to us that they are on such a mission. We believe Amir and the Vezeeta team can truly elevate the healthcare experience in the region,” he said.

  • A15 exits TPAY, sells 76% stake to Helios Investment Partners

    A15 exits TPAY, sells 76% stake to Helios Investment Partners

    A15, a leading tech investment fund based in the Cayman Islands; announced today that it has successfully sold 76% stake in its UAE-based fintech company TPAY Mobile, to Africa’s leading private investment firm Helios Investment Partners. TPAY is the fastest growing direct carrier billing “DCB” provider in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

    Following this deal, A15 became the first fund in the Middle East and Africa which created a Dragon from one of its investments, TPAY.

    A Dragon is an investment that returns the entire value of the fund when exited. In this case, TPAY returned a multiple of the value of the entire A15 Fund to its investors, a liquidity event that is very rare in the global tech investment space and a first of its kind in the MENA region. 

    This MENA’s First Dragon exit is the second major exit for A15 in three years after the sale of Otlob, one of the leading regional online food delivery businesses, to Rocket Internet. 

    Following the acquisition by Helios Investment Partners, A15 and the current executive team will continue to lead the implementation of TPAY’s growth strategy, with guidance from the new owners, and both will remain invested in a total of 24% of the company. 

    Established in 2014, TPAY was the first open mobile payment platform to be launched in the region and, today, commands the largest market share at 80% in the DCB space, also known as Direct Operator Billing, across 16 countries, with a total reach of 673 million users. The number of active digital content subscriptions set-up through TPAY’s platform grew at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 149% since 2015. The company processed 622 million successful transactions since its launch. Through its partnerships with 33 leading mobile operators, the number of successful transactions processed by TPAY grew at a CAGR of 1,081% since its launch.

    The company was able to build strategic partnerships with key regional and international players such as GooglePlay, Wargaming, NetDragon,  CrossFire, Gameloft, OLX, Opensouq, MBC, iFlix, Abu Dhabi Media and Dubai Channels Network, amongst others.   

    The global DCB industry is expected to register a CAGR of 23% during the 2018-2022 period, according to the latest market research report by Juniper Research. TPAY achieved a year-on-year growth in Gross Revenue and EBITDA of 64% and 162%, respectively, well above the global DCB industry. 

    Karim Beshara, Chairman of A15, commented:

    “I would like to congratulate CEO Sahar Salama and her team for this significant milestone for the startup ecosystem as well as for TPAY, and to welcome our new partners, Helios. Creating a Dragon in our fund is ground-breaking for the region. TPAY is a company that became a fund-maker owing to the unique approach in which A15 manages its portfolio companies. The remarkable achievement of TPAY is the result of a success-focused team that shares knowledge, drives business, and delivers results, both at a fund level and at a portfolio company level. The DCB market fundamentals are very promising, and we strongly believe that with such a capable and experienced partner like Helios, TPAY is well-positioned to unlock its utmost potential. I am looking forward to continuing our work with Sahar and her exceptional team as well as with Helios to take TPAY to the next level of growth globally.”

    Fadi Antaki, Chief Executive Officer of A15, added:

    “TPAY as a portfolio company achieved this level of exponential growth driven by A15’s unique DNA and operating model; at the core of our value proposition as a tech investor is offering more than funding. Our fund teams provide strategic support and capacity, building best practices across key functions such as legal, finance, operations, HR and growth. A15’s ecosystem of regional offices and networks serve as a launchpad for our portfolio companies, as in the case of TPAY. We have an evident traction that our model not only increases the success rates of our portfolio companies but also generates outliers like TPAY. An integral part of our corporate culture is to create a sense of ownership amongst our employees in every company we fund and operate. Employees are literally invested in our successes, and they share in these successes, through the implementation of our employee stock ownership plans (ESOP). This approach played a pivotal role in TPAY’s phenomenal achievements. I am confident that TPAY is well placed to lead the future growth in the DCB sector within the mobile payment industry in the Middle East and Africa.”

    Babatunde Soyoye, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners, said:

    “A15 and TPAY management have built an outstanding mobile payments platform that is profitable and still has a lot of room for growth in Africa and beyond given its applicability to a wide range of payment types and ease of use.  

    “TPAY’s business model leverages best-in-class technology and offers a high quality service to its partners; the company’s ability to develop strategic partnerships with key global merchants seeking an entry point into the Middle East and Africa speaks to the quality of the company’s offering and the management team. This is an exciting addition to the Helios’ payments franchise in Africa, and we look forward to working with the management team to achieve the next phase of innovation and growth for the Company.”

    DCB is expected to generate US $26 billion in End User Spend (EUS) in 2018 globally, and is predicted to grow to US$59 billion by 2022 according to Juniper Research, marking a 23% CAGR. 

    With an estimated 86% of adults who do not have a bank account in the MENA region according to Payfort &Wamda , mobile payments and DCB become key to buying digital and physical goods online. MENA is forecast to see the second fastest growth in smartphone adoption of any region over the next few years bringing smartphone adoption to 65% by 2020 as per the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) report. 

    Sahar Salama, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TPAY, stated:

    “I am excited to be part of this next chapter of TPAY’s growth. The Helios team brings new energy from a vibrant and experienced team that will drive real value to the business. This partnership will expedite TPAY’s strategic growth plans and we are on track to double our year-on-year revenue in 2019. My team and I are very proud of the business that we have built, and we look forward to taking it to even greater heights with our new partners, and to continue to set new benchmarks for the sector in the region.” 

    TPAY plans to leverage this new partnership with Helios to expand into new markets with a focus on Africa and Asia, as well as expanding its footprint into new sectors to use DCB and introducing new partners to the market.

    As a leading tech investor, A15 generates a year-on-year growth of 30% and an annual revenue of US$158 million through its 17 portfolio companies operating in 20 markets with 17 offices and 1,000 employees. A15 will continue creating and investing in disruptive tech and tech-enabled companies as well as focusing on building stronger verticals in Fintech, E-Commerce, SaaS and Media with a vision of one day going public. 

  • EY: 53% of MENA executives have AI and Automation on their agenda

    EY: 53% of MENA executives have AI and Automation on their agenda

    53% of senior executives in the MENA region named artificial intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as the most prominent technologies on their boardroom agenda. In consumer-facing sectors, automation is the leading technology focus in MENA, according to EY’s recent report.

    Moreover, the EY report ‘The power of intelligent automation: Making customer interaction smarter in the GCC’, identifies government services, retail and financial services as the three key customer-facing sectors that are using intelligent automation to drive efficiencies, using the resulting capacity to create new value, improve customer experience, and support product and service innovation.

    Governments paves the way for the private sector

    GCC Governments are mandating their departments to use intelligent automation to drive efficiency, inject innovation into the economy, and improve citizen, resident and tourist satisfaction by providing fast and efficient public services.

    Within the GCC, Dubai is the most advanced city in terms of the automation of public services delivery.

    Firas Qoussous, MENA Government and Public Sector Leader, EY, says:

    “We are seeing GCC governments linking the use of AI to major strategic objectives. This approach has the advantage of building synergies into planning from the beginning. It focuses primarily on improving the customer or citizen experience, with cost-cutting being a consequence of automation rather than the program’s main aim. However, there are still relatively few live projects and collaboration with the private sector will be key to delivering results. Governments must focus on building home-grown data science talent to improve service efficiency and fuel private sector innovation.”

    Making customer interactions smarter in retail

    In retail, RPA “Robotic process automation” has the ability to build the foundation for an improved digital customer experience, but making customer interaction smarter will require more predictive analytics that leverage AI.

    Ahmed Reda, MENA Consumer Products & Retail Sector Leader, EY, says:

    “The potential is huge for RPA and AI to help GCC retailers improve customer interaction through real-time, location-based customized offers, and opportunities to cross-sell in store and online. Twenty-first century buying will revolve around AI, voice, mobile, drones and self-driving delivery vehicles, while shopping will be all about experience.”

    Financial services lead in intelligent automation implementation

    The financial services sector is among the most advanced in adopting intelligent automation technologies. Banks are utilizing their up-to-date data storage to provide end-to-end services for customers, seamless connectivity between channels, and partnerships with other providers to enable immediate payments or loan processing.

    Gordon Bennie, MENA Financial Services Sector Leader, EY, says:

    “Financial services companies in the GCC are forging ahead in intelligent automation. Many are building on existing experience using RPA tools to automate back-office processes, such as automated loan approval, to find new sources of customer value. They too are partnering with telecommunications, as well as the retail sector, to build detailed profiles of their customers for personalized interactions.”

    The current extent and maturity of intelligent automation implementation may vary broadly between and within sectors. Still, the pace of change in the region has accelerated enormously this year as companies look to new technologies and collaborations that will help them address changes in customer behavior.

    Risks associated with digital transformation

    As companies move into rapidly emerging predictive technologies, they need to review and address information security, data privacy and ethics, the report highlights.

    Both public and private sector organizations will need to develop their data governance models and ethical guidelines on how customer data is used to manage reputational risk.

  • ‘MAYDAY’ a new breakthrough for providing roadside assistance in Egypt

    ‘MAYDAY’ a new breakthrough for providing roadside assistance in Egypt

    If you commute long distances every day and your car breaking down on the road is the nightmare you’ve always feared, worry no more, for MAYDAY is here.

    MAYDAY is an Egyptian start-up that offers real-time roadside assistance services to motorists facing car trouble through a mobile application with services including tow trucks, tire changes, and battery jump-starts, to name a few.

    “MAYDAY has a mission to provide a top-class service to its customers through live location tracking, fast dispatch of service providers, fixed pricing, and a quality consumer care center helping to get motorists in need safely back on the road within minutes.” Said Islam Ahmed, MAYDAY Head of Operations & Founding Partner.

    After four months after its launch, MAYDAY has successfully raised $20,000 in investment from VFlock, other angel investors, and its founders. In addition, to being currently incubated within the 2nd cycle of the MINT incubator led by EGBank and Cairo Angels.

    MAYDAY is also the first endorsed start-up by Misr International University as part of the vision to encourage Entrepreneurship.

    MAYDAY is available across Cairo and Giza and operates 24/7 offering its services through various subscription models with the aim also to launch on-demand services soon.

    If you are ever facing car trouble on the roads, just remember MAYDAY is a click away, available now for download on iOS and Android.

  • Instagram opens for verification requests, introduces new transparency and security tools

    Instagram opens for verification requests, introduces new transparency and security tools

    Instagram has introduced three new important updates today that enforce transparency and better security methods.

    In a blog post titled “New Tools to Help Keep Instagram Safe”: the company announced the three important updates: a new section “About This Account” to help users evaluate the authenticity of accounts with large followings, a verification form which accounts can request the blue verified badge, and finally, an improved form of two-factor authentication.

    “About this Account” section

    This section is designed to show more information about accounts on Instagram that reach large audiences so you can evaluate the authenticity of the account, from the date that account joined Instagram, the country where the account is located, accounts with shared followers, to any username changes in the last year and any ads the account is currently running.

    To check an account, go to their Profile, tap the three dots on top right side of the app and then select “About This Account.”

    Facebook introduced a similar feature weeks ago that allows users to see all active ads run by a page to increase transparency on the platform.

    This new feature will be available for large accounts on September, and it roll out for all accounts later.

    Instagram about this account section
    Image credit: Instagram

    Instagram Verified Badge

    The second significant Instagram update offers an easy way to request the blue verified badge directly through a global form in the Instagram app.

    A blue verified badge can be requested through: go to your profile – menu – settings – request verification.

    Instagram will ask for your full name and attach a photo of your ID (government-issued photo ID that show your name and date of birth. After your complete the required fields, submit your request and Instagram will review the request.

    Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive a notification confirming or declining your request in the notifications tab.

    request instagram verified badge
    Image source: Instagram

    Support for Third-Party Authenticator Apps

    Instagram has extended support to use third-party authenticator apps such as Google or Duo authenticator apps to log into Instagram accounts. This form of two-factor authentication makes it easier and safer to securely log into Instagram.

    To activate two-factor authentication, go to your profile – settings – two-factor authentication – authentication apps – select an app if you have any or download a new one from your preferred store (Google Play or AppStore).

    Image source: Instagram

    “I founded Instagram alongside Kevin nearly eight years ago, and we care deeply about this community and the people who are part of it. We’ve been focused on the safety of our platform since the very beginning, and today’s updates build upon our existing tools, such as our spam and abusive content filters and the ability to report or block accounts. We know we have more work to do to keep bad actors off Instagram, and we are committed to continuing to build more tools to do just that.” Mike Krieger, Instagram Co-Founder & CTO

    How do you find Instagram new updates? Let us know in the comment box below.

  • How AI can open up Silicon Valley to international investors

    How AI can open up Silicon Valley to international investors

    Mobile apps are detecting skin cancer. Drones are delivering aid across continents. Artificial intelligence is disrupting every aspect of our lives. The venture capital world is no exception.

    VCs are heading in the same direction, where AI augments human intelligence. Lately, VCs have been following more or less the same pattern. They are waiting longer to see some startup traction. But this entails seeing a significant increase in the valuation of the startup. Even worse, they could end up excluded from the next funding round. AI can change these dynamics. It can help investors find promising startups in earlier rounds, pre-traction if necessary.

    This will open the door to SV. It will provide opportunities for investors and family offices from the Middle East. It will decentralize venture capital with new investors from all over the world. They may not have local expertise. But they come armed with data-driven investment decisions. The SV early-stage startup investment space may no longer be in the hands of a few.

    Catching the AI wave

    The VC world is changing fast. Many are exploring the rising popularity of data-driven investing. They are building their investment portfolios the Moneyball way.

    A KPMG report puts total investments in Q1 this year at USD 49 billion across 2,661 global deals. The report noted that AI and Machine Learning are the center of VC attention. More companies are integrating such enabling technologies into their solutions. And more investors are becoming aware of their disruptive potential.

    Data-driven VC Funds are on the rise. Key players include Correlation Ventures, SignalFire, and Google Ventures. More and more platforms are positioning themselves as trusted data providers. The go-to place for information on early-stage startups. Famous among those are CB Insights, Crunchbase, and Pitchbook. 

    Changing the traditional model 

    More VCs are using AI in their deal sourcing and selection to catch the next Airbnb or Facebook. It’s not a coincidence that SV is getting more data-hungry. Several companies are working with investors on honing data-driven decision-making. This includes Aingel, an AI startup I co-founded in 2016 with my Master of Science colleagues at NYU. It’s where we envisioned an algorithm that predicts the success of brand-new startups.

    VCs are taking a more data-driven approach toward investment decisions in Silicon Valley. This is where Aingel comes in. We help investors find those diamonds in the rough. Our team of data scientists is currently using a patent-pending algorithm. They score startups and match them with ideal VCs most likely to invest in their stage and space. This will help VCs focus on the next disruptive startups. It will attract more investors to Silicon Valley. More money is poured into fewer startups, especially in the early stages. 

    Stepping Stone to SV

    The data-driven investment models are an opportunity for new investors. They can enter, compete and succeed in Silicon Valley – a field dominated by few, big local players. Quality deal flow is important for both local and international investors. The more we use data, the better we are at finding and investing in great startups. This is before they even show traction and get popular among other investors. Our algorithms show that we can reduce portfolio risk and improve returns by 2.5x.

    Data-driven investing has the potential to open up Silicon Valley to the world. This will bring in a new funding channel that can fill the fundraising void for early-stage startups. Several investors from the Middle East would love to hop on. They would not hesitate to invest in the next game-changing startups in Silicon Valley. All they need is deal flow, data, and access.

    Beyond investing

    Besides opening up investment opportunities here, AI is creating jobs back home. There is ongoing rhetoric about the impact of AI on unemployment. But AI can also provide global employment and cultivate future talent.

    Let’s take Egypt as an example. Current data show a growing population approaching 100 million with a median age of 24. National statistics for employment in Egypt tell an interesting story. During such economic hardship, unemployment dropped 11.8% in 2017, down from 12.5% the previous year. 

    The country’s young tech talent can make use of remote work opportunities. They can contribute to disruptive technologies anywhere in the world. This will also reflect on their expertise and skills as they work on the latest in the tech field.

    At Aingel, we are hiring around 42 data researchers based in Cairo. We tried Amazon Mechanical Turk for aggregating data. But we discovered a need for more nuanced data. Most of my remote team works on aggregating startup founders’ data. We use this data in our work at Silicon Valley with top international and US investors.

    The VC world is investing in potential future disruptive startups. Our talent is setting the gears in motion and getting the job done. We hope data-driven investing will encourage VCs from the region to make it in Silicon Valley.

    Amr Shady
    Amr is the Co-founder and CEO of Aingel Corp., a spin-off from his research on predicting startup success at New York University. Aingel works with top Silicon Valley and international VCs to scale their deal flow sourcing and selection process. Its algorithms also help promising startups fundraise faster by identifying best-matching VCs. Aingel’s investors include Silicon Valley Bank, 500 Startups, Endure Capital, BECO Capital and OTG Ventures. Amr has over 18 years of experience in building and scaling companies. He founded TA Telecom at 22 and bootstrapped it with $50,000 to millions in revenue. He earned several international awards, including Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 EMEA. The Financial Times also dubbed his first startup a “local hero.” Amr is a board member of Endeavor and TechWadi, two non-profits promoting entrepreneurship. He earned his MSc in Business Analytics from NYU. He graduated from Dalhousie University with a BSc in Electrical Engineering.

  • Four Takeaways From Google Cloud Next ’18 by Sherif Kozman, CEO of Extreme Solution

    Four Takeaways From Google Cloud Next ’18 by Sherif Kozman, CEO of Extreme Solution

    25,000 tech professionals, entrepreneurs, engineers and developers from all around the world gathered in the Moscone Center in San Francisco for the three-day Google Cloud Next ’18, listening to topnotch speakers from Google, sharing experiences and staying abreast of the latest about Google Cloud Platform (GCP), machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and even more.

    We sat down with Sherif Kozman, CEO of Extreme solution, Google Cloud Partner in Egypt to share some takeaways from the conference as well as tell us more about Google Cloud Platform and how businesses in Egypt can utilize it.

    Extreme Solution has been a leading tech shop since 2001 taking on software Development & Digital products as a craft and art. Building success for their clients through innovation, software and cloud technologies, The company  has expanded its arsenal by aligning itself with Google as a “Google Cloud Partner” offering various cloud solutions for startups and enterprise.

    So, let’s start by defining the cloud & GCP (Google Cloud Platform)

    I believe the common misconception between the cloud or cloud computing versus traditional web hosting services is one of the main reasons why lots of business are yet to realize the true benefit or potential the cloud may offer to their business either in scalability, cost reduction, security or collaboration.

    In a traditional web hosting model a company will rent a shared or dedicated portion of a server within a provider to host or manage their web services or software. You may not utilize all of those resources equally or to their maximum scale depending on the nature of your service because they are part of a plan or a package.

    Cloud computing breaks down all aspects of computing resources individually so you can rent and utilize only the resources needed upon need while being able to scale up and down almost instantly with virtually no limits and without having to invest in a huge infrastructure, hence the cloud.

    Cloud providers aren’t born equal

    While all major cloud providers essentially offer computing resources at scale for everyone, GCP’s (Google Cloud Platform) approach has been unique towards businesses, developers and startups.

    Whether you are a startup with a few developers and a product that will scale to millions or your IT operations is running within a legacy on premise data center or you are business analyst with virtually no tech or code knowledge that have got access to huge amounts of data that you need to crunch to offer business intelligence reports, GCP offers a huge set of tools and technologies that help you launch, test and scale your business or infrastructure while being in control of your costs.

    You get access to the same resources Google uses to run services such as Google.com, YouTube and Gmail. This includes Google-grade security, access to technology innovation built by google in machine learning, analytics, data warehousing, development tools and Global network built and managed by Google.

    As Extreme Solution our role is to help you identify and build solutions addressing the problems your business may be facing using the GCP suite of technologies.

    So, what’s hot for business in NEXT18?

    NEXT18 has unfolded with lots of new products & technology announcements that were cutting edge for both enterprise and developers.

    However personally a few of the most appealing were:

    • GCP’s partnership with cisco building a family of products and services designed to work together to help enterprises realize the following benefits, no matter where their applications are running (on-premises, or in GCP):
    • Improved service reliability
    • Enhanced developer productivity
    • Consistent operations with automated governance and security at scale
    • Ability to quickly modernize without re-architecting existing (on-prem) investment
  • Women in Saudi Arabia begin driving for Careem

    Women in Saudi Arabia begin driving for Careem

    On the historic day that women begin driving in Saudi Arabia, Careem reveal their new fleet of female drivers.  

    The drivers – referred to as Captainahs – will begin working with Careem from today as part of the company’s ongoing mission to simplify and improve lies in the region.

    This service will start working in the three major cities (Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam) in the first phase to be expanded to include all cities within a short period.

    https://www.facebook.com/adigitalboom/videos/1760481537360934/

    Careem CEO Mudassir Sheikha announced, “We are delighted to welcome these pioneering women to Careem and in line with Careem’s commitment to create job opportunities across the wider Middle East region, 2018 will see a new focus begin on attracting women to sign up to the platform.” 

    Creating between 60,000-to-70,000 jobs per month across all cities of operation and Mudassir Sheikha went on to add, “We’ve set a longer-term target of having 20,000 females signed up regionwide by 2020.” 

    Careem’s GM of Saudi Arabia, Abdulla Elyas said, “Following the announcement in Saudi Arabia in September 2017 that women would soon be allowed to drive, we opened our door to female Captains (Captainahs) and invited them to come and sign up to Careem and receive the initial training. We have been overwhelmed by the response, with some 2,000 women already having taken part in sessions from our operational, safety and technology teams.” 

    Careem recognizes that up until now, the industry has largely ignored women and the potential they might have to earn an income through our platform. It’s been a wake-up call and we are now investing our time and focus into deep diving into this issue. 

    This year Careem set up a Women’s Female Captain Committee to tackle this issue and better understand what barriers might exist for a woman wanting to come and drive for us, and to understand what it takes for us to provide a conducive environment for them to flourish.

    Abdulla Elyas added, “Driving for a ride-hailing company provides the chance to be your own boss, earn an additional income and work your own hours, so it’s particularly geared towards the needs of working mothers. To date, Careem has welcomed women in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan and the UAE and registered some 2,000 women in Saudi Arabia ahead of the decree coming into effect – we are thrilled to welcome new Captainahs to our Saudi fleet.”

    Currently around 70% of Careem’s passengers in the Kingdom are female, and Careem has been particularly beneficial for females who did not have safe and reliable transport before the introduction of the service in Saudi Arabia. People in Saudi have referred to there being a time before, and a time after Careem, so great has the impact been in enabling women to move around the country without the need to be driven by a male family member.

  • Step by step guide to turn your Mac’s internet connection into a hotspot with Internet Sharing

    Step by step guide to turn your Mac’s internet connection into a hotspot with Internet Sharing

    Not every device has the same Wi-Fi hardware strength, computers especially Apple MacBook can detect Wi-Fi signals from faraway and network strength will be just perfect, unlike mobile devices.

    Fortunately, MacBook users can turn their computers into hotspot devices to provide mobile devices and other computers around with internet when they can’t reach a weak Wi-Fi signal.

    MacBooks can share internet connection from and to several ports like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, Thunderbolt Bridge or even USB cable.

    For example, if your mac is getting internet connection form a Wi-Fi network, and if you would like to share your connection with other, all you need to do is to enable connection sharing from Wi-Fi and the best connection would be using Bluetooth or USB cable if you have one.

    How to share your Mac’s internet connection

    1. Click on the  icon in the top menu bar and select System Preferences.
    2. Then click on Sharing.
    3. Click on Internet Sharing but don’t checkmark it yet.
    4. Select Wi-Fi in the Share your connection from.
    5. Select Bluetooth in the To Computers using
    6. Now turn on Internet Sharing by clicking the tick mark next to Internet Sharing in the sidebar.
    7. Click Start on the menu that pops up in order to turn Internet Sharing on.
    8. Open Bluetooth on your mac and other devices.
    9. Now pair as many devices as you want with your mac.
    10. Boom, everyone has internet.

    Step by step guide to turn your Mac's internet connection into a hotspot with Internet SharingStep by step guide to turn your Mac's internet connection into a hotspot with Internet Sharing

    Step by step guide to turn your Mac's internet connection into a hotspot with Internet SharingStep by step guide to turn your Mac's internet connection into a hotspot with Internet Sharing