Careem, the popular ride-hailing platform, has announced it will suspend its operations in Pakistan from July 18, marking the end of nearly ten years in the country. The announcement came from Careem’s CEO and co-founder, Mudassir Sheikha, who called it “an incredibly difficult decision.”

“The challenging macroeconomic reality, intensifying competition, and global capital allocation made it hard to justify the investment levels required to deliver a safe and dependable service,” Sheikha shared in a heartfelt LinkedIn post.

He praised his team’s resilience and impact: “The Pakistan team was brilliant and fearless — bold, determined, and literally on a mission to create millions of jobs for captains across the country.”

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Reflecting on Careem’s legacy, Sheikha said, “They delivered significant public goods: digital infrastructure, trust, regulation, capability, confidence — all of which paved the way for countless ventures in Pakistan.”

While its ride-hailing chapter ends, Careem will maintain a presence in Pakistan through “Careem Technologies,” which builds the company’s “Everything App.” Sheikha confirmed, “This presence is only set to grow, with over 100 open roles.”

“Pakistan is in Careem’s DNA — our first line of code was written here,” he added, expressing hope for the future despite the service shutdown.