‘Only 5pc Pakistanis use ride-hailing services’
'Only 5pc Pakistanis employ ride-hailing services'.
'Only 5pc Pakistanis employ ride-hailing services'.
Article outline
- What happened
- What comes next
- Why it matters
- The bottom line
Key points
- Kalbe Ali Published September 4, 2026 Updated September 4, 2026 07: 03am.
- While other platforms like Yango and Bykea have a smaller outreach, the inDrive platform is at present available in 30 cities throughout Pakistan.
- Kalbe Ali is a senior staff reporter for Dawn based in Islamabad, with almost 20 years of field reporting experience.
- This person is inDrive's regional director for the Middle East, remarked the country offered great potential for business expansion and confirmed aims to invest further in Pakistan.
Kalbe Ali Published September 4, 2026 Updated September 4, 2026 07: 03am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.
While digital platforms account for less than 1pc of the country's food sales, highlighting untapped potential of the digital mobility and delivery market, ISLAMABAD: Only five per cent of Pakistanis employ ride-hailing services compared to around 20pc globally.
Speaking during a panel discussion, Wael Ibrahim. This person is inDrive's regional director for the Middle East, remarked the country offered great potential for business expansion and confirmed aims to invest further in Pakistan.
Mr Ibrahim remarked ride-hailing penetration in Pakistan stood at only 5pc compared to approximately 20pc the world over, making the country one of the promising expansion markets for digital mobility platforms.
Nevertheless, the low prevalence of ride-hailing nationwide is due to multiple factors, including lack of digital literacy in smaller cities and towns, limited availability of internet in these areas, and cultural factors.
Foodpanda Director Shariq Mustafa remarked digital platforms accounted for less than 1pc of food sales in Pakistan, but were having a significant impact on the livelihoods of vulnerable families. Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2026.
Kalbe Ali is a senior staff reporter for Dawn based in Islamabad, with almost 20 years of field reporting experience. As well as religious affairs, he covers a diverse range of topics, including the internet, IT and telecom sectors.
In short, 'Only 5pc Pakistanis use ride is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
