Uber Chief Operating Officer Barney Harford will visit Egypt to announce the ride-hailing service's plans to serve 50% of Egypt's governorates by the end of this year, starting with expanding into the cities of Zagazig and Hurghada. Harford will visit the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the first time next week to kick off his tour in Egypt. His tour also includes visits to Riyadh and Dubai as part of plans to look at continued investment in the region. "Egypt is one of our fastest growing markets. There is huge potential here and I am excited to see that not only have we been filling a demand for reliable transportation, but we are also the largest provider of work opportunity here. I would like to see this type of impact across the country, and we will be expanding geographically to provide more customers with unique Uber experiences," expressed Harford. The objective to cover 50% of Egypt's governorates supports Uber's vision to provide hundreds of thousands of drivers across Egypt with economic opportunities to increase their income. In 2017 alone, 150,000 job opportunities were created through the Uber application, with 40% of those drivers previously unemployed. Launching in Zagazig and Hurghada allows for the creation of more opportunities, for both men and women, while also ensuring safe trips for riders within each city. Customers in the two new locations now have the ability to use the Uber app to move easily within the cities. The company also aims to support the revival of tourism in Hurghada, providing residents and tourists with the technology for a safe mode of transportation. Commenting on the expansion, Abdellatif Waked, general manager of Uber Egypt, said that they are working on enabling drivers to increase their income through the use of advanced technology. "Now it is time to provide this opportunity to those in Zagazig and Hurghada, which are very promising cities where many economic opportunities lie. We are also very happy to complement each city's transportation system to serve more Egyptians across Egypt," he added. In January 2018, Uber had also announced its expansion into Damanhour and Tanta, leading the way into the Delta region. With the launch in Zagazig and Hurghada, Uber is now present in Alexandria, Cairo, Damanhour, Hurghada, Mansoura, Tanta, and Zagazig. "We continuously study the market to provide each city with the Uber technology to meet their needs. We have launched in seven prominent cities so far, and will continue expanding across Egypt very soon," added Waked.
