DTC and National Taxi Renew Strategic Agreement with Hala for Five Years, Deepening One of Dubai's Longest-Running E-hailing Partnerships

Dubai Taxi Company PJSC (“DTC” or the “Company”), a leading provider of comprehensive mobility solutions in Dubai, National Taxi LLC (National Taxi), one of the UAE’s established taxi operators, and Hala, the first homegrown e-hailing joint venture between Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem, have announced the renewal of their strategic agreement for a further five years. The renewal extends a partnership that has been central to the digital transformation of Dubai's taxi sector since Hala's launch in 2019 and reaffirms both organisations’ commitment to building the next phase of that journey together.

DTC and National Taxi will together make more than 7,700 taxis, excluding airport fleet, available for booking through Hala on the Careem app under the renewed agreement, further strengthening the platform’s scale with more than 26,000 Captains and 13,000 taxis. Since the partnership began, nearly 120 million trips across DTC and National Taxi have been booked through Hala, reflecting the platform's role as one of the primary ways residents and visitors access Dubai's taxi network today.

As a homegrown mobility solution, Hala pioneered a new model for e-hailing in the Middle East, bringing the Emirates’ taxi franchises onto a private-sector ride-hailing app at scale. Today, Hala is among the region's longest-standing e-hailing platforms, combining DTC’s taxi management systems and experienced operational capabilities with Careem's e-hailing technology, revolutionizing how customers book and access taxis across Dubai.

The five-year renewal underscores the strength of the model and the mutual value it has generated for both organisations. For DTC, the partnership has expanded access to its fleet beyond street-hailing, improved vehicle utilization, and connected its drivers to a growing base of app-based customers. The agreement reflects both DTC and Hala’s commitment to supporting the RTA’s directive to transition 80% of taxi trips to e-booking by 2030, a target the partnership has been instrumental in advancing since its inception.

For Hala, DTC's fleet has been foundational to the platform's scale and reliability, helping it maintain strong availability and shorter wait times across the emirate.

“This renewal marks an important next chapter in a partnership that has played a significant role in advancing the digital transformation of Dubai’s taxi sector,” said Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, Group CEO, Dubai Taxi Company. “Together with Hala, we have expanded how customers access our fleet, strengthened the role of e-hailing across our operations, and created a more seamless and convenient mobility experience. Extending this agreement for another five years allows us to build on what we have achieved together, strengthen the integration between our services, and continue enhancing service quality and customer experience, while supporting Dubai’s ambitions for a more efficient and integrated mobility ecosystem.”

"Since 2019, Hala has grown from a pilot with a couple of thousand vehicles into one of the region's most established e-hailing platforms, and DTC, along with our other partners, has been foundational to that journey," said Khaled Nuseibeh, CEO of Hala. "This partnership has been instrumental in revolutionising how residents and visitors access public transportation through e-hailing, and this renewal means we keep raising the bar for our customers by giving them faster and more reliable access to Dubai’s taxi network and an even better experience through the Careem app. And of course, none of it would be possible without our Captains. This collaboration has given us real ways to support them and invest back in meaningful ways.”

The agreement comes as part of DTC's broader strategy to position itself as a comprehensive mobility provider across Dubai, integrating traditional taxi services with digital platforms, and as Hala continues to expand its role in the emirate's wider transport ecosystem.