MUSCAT: Making travelling in Oman a convenience, Otaxi is soon gaining popularity among the commuters in Oman. Pumped up on bold dreams and aspirations, the taxi service provider is also gearing up to offer the best facilities to tourists in the post-pandemic phase.  

“In Oman, we rely too much on our individual cars to travel across cities and wilayats. We also need transportation service to the airports. I looked at the situation from a customer’s point of view and that’s how Otaxi was established,” said Otaxi CEO Harith Al Maqbali in an exclusive interview with The Arabian Stories.

From financing to regulations, Otaxi has seen all kinds of challenges and overcame them successfully. “For us, COVID-19 was a big lesson. Our business dropped by 90% and we faced several hurdles. Now we are positioned well and have a better system in place to deal with such issues,” Al Maqbali added.

In December 2021, Otaxi also received the licence to operate a female taxi service in Oman, which Al Maqbali announced for the first time at the TAS CEO Conclave.

“We got the licence to operate female driver taxi for the first time in Oman. This is just the start. We realised there are a lot of potential services. Not only in taxis but in many areas such as transporting for ladies to schools, colleges or to move around or move in groups,” Al Maqbali had said then.

He also added, “If you ask me in terms of the future, I think the future has a lot to offer across the globe. We are seeing driverless cabs in smart cities. I have read about Abu Dhabi starting a taxi with 40 automated services. So when it comes to technology, there is a huge potential for women.”