Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Middle East ride-hailing app charting a successful course through coronavirus crisis

Middle East ride-hailing app charting a successful course through coronavirus crisis

Jeeny has reimagined its business model as a result of the global pandemic, preserving staff and keeping safety paramount
The co-CEO of Middle East ride-hailing app Jeeny is hoping its journey through the current coronavirus can act as inspiration for others.

The company, a joint venture between the Middle East Internet Group (MEIG), Rocket Internet and IMENA, was forced to completely reinvent its model, which helped it retain its workforce and execute its last-mile delivery operations, while taking the best possible health and safety measures.

Eugen Brikcius told Arabian Business: “Our ride hailing business dropped by 100 percent in full lockdowns that were implemented in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.”

This is when the company sought to reimagine its business model by re-designing its app and established large scale delivery partnerships with companies which required emergency last-mile deliveries until curfews were lifted.

“We worked closely with the Saudi government in providing a fleet of drivers who were well-equipped with top health and safety training and hygiene kits,” said Brikcius.

“For us, as a business that mainly revolves around transportation, our new normal was applying extreme safety and sanitation measures to our drivers and their cars.

“As a start, we partnered with Helpling, a Dubai-based on-demand cleaning services venture to provide ongoing professional sanitation for drivers who visit our service offices in the main cities.

We also imported plastic films as in-cab isolators and installed them in our most active drivers’ cars, in addition to redesigning our driver service offices with safety equipment to keep both our agents and drivers safe via proper social distancing,” he added.

Despite the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic, Brikcius retains one of the company’s primary objectives - to remain affordable for its customers.

He explained: “Our main competitive value in Saudi Arabia and Jordan used to be affordability. We always aim to provide the most affordable ride-booking experience via our app.

We now plan to grow vertically stronger than ever, by being the safest choice to move around within the market, while still holding our position as the economical app.”

Jeeny has offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah, Dammam, Khobar, Amman, Lahore, and Karachi, while Brikcius added that they are currently evaluating expansion opportunities and watching developments in other markets.

“We believe there is a great opportunity for us to enter other GCC and ME region small and big markets, keeping our value proposition which is offering the economic transportation solution,” he said.

Throughout the pandemic, the public dealt with a great deal of pressure due to economic troubles and unemployment. Jeeny dealt with this pandemic by creating a secure environment for its workforce.

The organisation’s success in striving to overcome this pandemic and taking the necessary health and safety measures could inspire other start-ups and tech companies in implementing “disrupt and pivot” and preserving their core assets, the employees, as a method to overcome force majeure, not only as growth tools.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×