Is Uber Coming to Kuwait?

There have been rumors about Uber coming to Kuwait for at least a decade now, and I think we might finally be getting it next year. I don’t have any inside sources confirming this, it’s just my opinion.

Recently I got a notification from my Uber app with a message saying “Hello, Kuwait. Wherever you’re headed, explore with ride options that fit your travel plans”. Someone on Reddit posted a different message he got which said “See more of Kuwait. Explore the city sights with Uber”.

That was the first hint. The second came when a reader emailed me saying he was taking a cab to pick up his new car and got into a conversation with the driver. The subject of Uber came up, and the driver told him they were starting in Kuwait on October 2nd. He even showed him an email with Uber in the subject line.

That’s when I decided to reach out to a contact at Careem to see if they knew anything. Since Uber acquired Careem years ago, I figured if anyone had info on Uber coming to Kuwait, it would be them. Here’s what I found out.

Uber is NOT launching in Kuwait on October 2nd.

What’s actually happening is that Careem’s driver backend is being integrated into Uber’s software. This is consistent with how things work in other markets where Careem operates, and it makes sense since Careem is owned by Uber. This is also confirmed on the Careem drivers page, which now states:

Captains operate on the Uber app now!
Signup on the Uber Driver app to get Careem bookings on the Uber Driver app and enjoy Uber Driver perks!

The signup link then redirects drivers to the Uber website to complete the process.

But from the conversation I had, I felt there was more to the story. When I asked if Uber was launching in Kuwait on October 2nd, my contact said they were still only operating as Careem for now, but might have some news in 2026. When I asked if Careem was rebranding to Uber, they said no, that would not happen. If Uber decided to enter the market, both apps would operate in Kuwait. They then hinted again that some exciting news could be coming early next year.

Here’s what I think. Uber is in fact coming to Kuwait next year. My guess is that Uber and Careem will operate as one entity with two different apps, meaning Careem drivers are Uber drivers and vice versa. That makes sense since both would be using the same backend system. That’s just my theory though, and for now we’ll have to wait and see.