Careem will now deliver your groceries. AFP
Careem will now deliver your groceries. AFP
Careem will now deliver your groceries. AFP
Careem will now deliver your groceries. AFP

Careem launches on-demand grocery delivery service in Dubai


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

Careem has launched an on-demand grocery service in Dubai, delivering essentials to customers in the emirate.

Through the Careem Now app, you can order produce from local services, listed in the Careem Shops catalogue on the app. The app offers deliveries from groceries, organic and health food shops, pharmacies, coffee shops, roasteries, pet stores and confectioners, as well as cafes and restaurants that deliver meals.

Stores listed on the app on the launch of Careem Shops include Lulu Hypermarket in Dubai, 7-Eleven, 800-Pharmacy, Al Manara Pharmacy, The Pet Corner and Rootz Organics.

Upon checking, 7-Eleven had a 25 to 35 minute delivery time to Dubai Marina for convenient buys such as face masks, instant soups and noodles and snacks, including crisps and samosas.

“Careem’s pledge to assist the community, its partners, customers and Captains during these confusing times is our top priority," says Gheed El Makkaoui, general manager of Careem UAE.

"This new product launch enables us to further meet the needs of the community, and we are delighted to be able to offer delivery of essentials through our platform in a safe, efficient way to simplify the lives of our users."

Shopping delivery in the UAE 

On Thursday, April 2 it was announced that Dubai's RTA taxis had teamed up with a number of the city's online shopping platforms to deliver goods in a non-contact system. The scheme is designed to speed up delivery times and encourage shoppers to stay at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It joined the supermarkets and hypermarkets, including Carrefour, Union Co-op and Lulu, that already offer home delivery. However waiting times for these are currently high, due to the demand.

Similarly, InstaShop connects shoppers to local supermarkets and mini-marts, but waiting times are currently higher than usual too.

Other services include NRTC Fresh for fruits and vegetables (current wait time is less than 24 hours), Kibsons (wait times of around one week) and Grand Gourmet Grocer for meat and fish (next day delivery, subject to availability).

Many boutique brands are also still delivering, including Raw coffee and Florette flowers.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.

For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.