Riyadh: The new service, called Women Drivers, mirrors the standard UberX experience and is being gradually rolled out across Saudi Arabia. It gives women the choice to book on-demand rides or schedule them up to 30 minutes in advance via Uber Reserve — a move aimed at expanding comfort, safety, and opportunities for both female drivers and passengers.

The initiative comes seven years after Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on women driving and builds on Uber’s ongoing investment in locally-driven programs to enhance women’s mobility and workforce participation.

Youssef Abouseif, General Manager of Uber in Saudi Arabia said, “We’re giving women more choice, more opportunity, and a stronger sense of community.”

To deepen its support for women in the sector, Uber has also announced GigSister — Saudi Arabia’s first community-driven event series for female drivers. The program aims to create a local support network where women drivers can connect, share experiences, and access resources.

Additionally, Uber has partnered with the Alnahda Society, a non-profit championing women’s empowerment, to offer financial literacy training and skill-building programs. This builds on their previous collaboration through the Masaruky program, which enabled thousands of women to acquire driver’s licenses and access mobility-based employment.

Uber’s new move is the latest in a series of female-focused initiatives in Saudi Arabia, including Wusool, which has facilitated over 20 million subsidized rides for working women, and Women Rider Preference, a feature that allows female drivers to accept only female passengers.