Dubai Taxi Company and National Taxi renew Hala partnership for five years
Dubai Taxi Company (DTC), National Taxi and Hala have renewed their strategic agreement for another five years, extending a partnership that has supported the growth of app-based taxi bookings in Dubai since 2019.
Under the renewed agreement, DTC and National Taxi will make more than 7,700 taxis, excluding their airport fleets, available for booking through Hala on the Careem app. The platform has access to a network of more than 13,000 taxis and 26,000 Captains.
Since the partnership began, nearly 120 million trips involving DTC and National Taxi vehicles have been booked through Hala, highlighting the role of e-hailing in connecting residents and visitors with Dubai’s taxi network.
Hala is a joint venture between Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem. It combines DTC’s taxi management and operational capabilities with Careem’s e-hailing technology to enable customers to book taxis through a digital platform.
Partnership supports Dubai’s e-booking target
The five-year renewal is expected to strengthen the integration between Dubai’s taxi fleet and digital booking services.
For DTC, the partnership has expanded access to its vehicles beyond street-hailing, improved vehicle utilisation and connected drivers with a wider base of app-based customers. Hala, meanwhile, benefits from access to DTC’s fleet to support vehicle availability and reduce customer waiting times across the emirate.
The agreement also supports the RTA’s target of transitioning 80 per cent of taxi trips to e-booking by 2030. DTC and Hala said their collaboration has contributed to advancing the use of digital taxi bookings since the platform’s launch.
Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, Group CEO of Dubai Taxi Company, said the renewal marks another stage in the partnership’s contribution to the digital transformation of Dubai’s taxi sector.
He said the extended agreement would build on progress made in expanding fleet access, strengthening e-hailing operations and improving convenience for customers, while supporting Dubai’s ambitions for a more integrated mobility system.
Hala looks to improve customer experience
Khaled Nuseibeh, CEO of Hala, said the platform had grown from an initial pilot involving a few thousand vehicles in 2019 into one of the region’s established e-hailing services, with DTC and other partners playing a key role in its development.
He said the renewal would help Hala continue improving access to Dubai’s taxi network through the Careem app, with a focus on faster and more reliable service.
Nuseibeh also highlighted the contribution of Captains, saying the partnership had created opportunities to support drivers and invest in initiatives benefiting them.
The agreement forms part of DTC’s wider strategy to develop its business as a comprehensive mobility provider in Dubai by integrating traditional taxi operations with digital platforms. It also reinforces Hala’s role in the emirate’s broader transport network.
