The 100: Mudassir Sheikha, CEO, Careem The 100: A Definite Guide to Success
By Entrepreneur Middle East Staff Edited by Tamara Pupic
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Mudassir Sheikha holds a degree in Economics and Computer Science from the University of Southern California and a Master's in Computer Science from Stanford University. His professional journey began at Trilogy Software, followed by a role at Brience, a mobile experience startup in San Francisco, in March 2000.
He later took on a leadership role at DeviceAnywhere, managing its offshore development center in Pakistan. After DeviceAnywhere was acquired by Keynote Systems, Sheikha joined McKinsey & Company in their Dubai office. Four years later, alongside his former McKinsey colleague Magnus Olsson, he co-founded a new venture to simplify life for people in the Middle East.
This vision became Careem, launched in 2012. Over the years, Careem grew into one of the region's leading technology platforms, offering a wide range of services. In 2020, Uber acquired Careem for $3 billion. In Dubai, Careem provides services such as ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery, payments, micro-mobility, and more.
In April 2023, e& invested $400 million to become the majority shareholder in Careem's super app, while Uber retained full ownership of Careem's ride-hailing business. The super app now offers a variety of services, including food and grocery delivery, micro-mobility, home cleaning, car rental, and more. Its fintech arm, Careem Pay, provides services like peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, digital wallets, and international remittances.
Through his leadership, Sheikha has helped Careem evolve into a pivotal technology platform, driving innovation and improving everyday life in the Middle East.
