Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
There has been a spike in online food and delivery orders for suhoor in the UAE this Holy Month of Ramadan, with some residents spending thousands of dirhams in one go, according to data from the popular Careem app.
Careem - an "everything app" that facilitates deliveries, ride hailing, dining, digital payments, and even donations - saw a significant surge in demand across its services during the Holy Month, it said in a recent Press release. Careem Food recorded a 36% jump in early-morning orders (around suhoor time) in March compared to February, with "The Big Feast" from McDonald's and "Plain Paratha" from Punjab Flower Restaurant topping the list.
For iftar, Wingstop's 8-piece Wings Meal in Dubai and Ritaj Restaurant's Special Haleem in Abu Dhabi were the most popular.
The largest single food order reached Dh1,410 in Abu Dhabi and Dh2,460 in Dubai.
Grocery Orders
Between 4am and 5-6am, around suhoor time, there has been an increase of 70 per cent in orders for Careem Groceries while a spike of 25 per cent was recorded during iftar time.
The largest Careem grocery bill recorded in Abu Dhabi stood at more than Dh1,400, while Dubai saw a maximum of Dh2,800 for 60 items.
Some of the most popular grocery items that residents ordered were bananas, bottled water, cucumbers, and blueberries.
Record-breaking Donations
With the Holy Month of Ramadan being a season of giving, donations via Careem's in-app service, Right Click, surged by as much as 240% across three countries: the UAE, KSA, and Jordan.
In turn, this assisted local NGOs and charitable organisations in making a significant difference during the Holy Month.
Careem Pay saw a 6% rise in international remittances, with transfers to India increasing by 10%.
Some users reached the monthly transfer cap of Dh450,000, reflecting higher gifting and donations.
One customer made 46 transfers to Pakistan, which saw the highest month-on-month increase in transfer volume, data showed.
Ride Demand Shifts
During the Holy Month, changes in transportation trends were also noted. Careem Rides hit peak demand at 3pm on account of shifted work hours.
Riders in Abu Dhabi habitually travel to Downtown and Hudariyat, while Business Bay, the Dubai Mall, and The Palm were the hot spots in Dubai, the app's data showed.
Since 2012, Careem has enabled 3.5 million Captains and served more than 75 million customers, facilitating regional entrepreneurship.
The platform operates in more than 70+ cities across 10 countries - from Morocco to Pakistan - and continues to simplify lives and drive economic growth.
