Uber launches deliver anything service ‘Connect’ in Egypt

Uber is expanding into transportation of goods in the Middle East & North Africa, with the launch of its on-demand delivery services ‘Uber Connect’ in Egypt. The launch of Connect in Egypt that was announced on Sunday comes after its successful introduction in 25 cities across the United States, Canada, Australia, and Mexico, noted the statement. Egypt is the first market in the region for Uber to launch Connect.

There are two services that Connect is offering to customers in Egypt through Uber’s main app: the first one is a door-to-door delivery service would enable users to send and receive packages to/from family and friends and the second one would allow them to request couriers to pick-up or purchase items on their behalf from nearby stores which could include groceries, laundry, or anything else.

The items requested to purchased by the courier should not exceed EGP 500 ($31) according to the details available on Uber’s blog. For the packages being sent to friends and family, the total value should not exceed EGP 1,000 ($63).  Uber is offering the service through its scooter partners. The delivery orders have a limit of maximum 10 items (per order) and the total weight has to be under 10 kgs.

According to information available on the app, Connect’s base fare in Cairo EGP 4. For every delivery, the users will be charged EGP 2.15/kilometer and EGP 0.25/minute.

There are different other companies offering similar services across Egypt including Uber’s Middle Eastern subsidiary Careem and Saudi’s Mrsool. One of the most popular ‘deliver anything’ services in Egypt used to be Glovo but it exited the country earlier this year.

Ahmed Khalil, the General Manager of Uber Egypt, commenting on the launch of Connect, said, “This is a proud moment for us as we add a new service to our app in Egypt, and is another first in the MENA region. Uber Connect has been designed to ease senders’ daily errands while empowering drivers with new earning opportunities.”

“By launching Uber Connect, we are taking a step forward to accelerate our efforts to keep our community safe, which has been our goal since the start of Covid-19. Our role as a technology company won’t stop here; we will continue to evolve to effectively and sustainably define the new normal during this unprecedented time,” he added.