Business & Money | Friday 25 October, 2019 7:08 am |

The Middle East’s first regulator-approved e-scooter operator, Circ has announced its expansion to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with further plans to drive the micro-mobility revolution across the GCC in the coming months.

 

Circ’s entry to the Kingdom will be via the provision of its purpose-built, fully electric scooters across the Digital City and Diplomatic Quarters in the city of Riyadh, through a partnership with Raza, the real estate management arm of the Saudi Public Pension Agency (PPA) and subsidiary of Al Ra’idah Investment Company (RIC).

 

Jaideep Dhanoa, Co-Founder and CEO of Circ MENA says, “We are in the midst of a very exciting period of growth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has made tremendous strides over the past few years to become a dynamic and thriving country.  The Kingdom has the largest population in the GCC, with a high percentage made up of youth who continue to adopt new innovative consumer trends.  We anticipate great demand for Circ’s e-scooters, which can meet their daily needs as well as positively impact the environment and economy. With 29 million residents and an annual potential growth rate of 3.3%, the country remains a formidable market to tap into. We are proud to become the first official operator of e-scooters in the Kingdom and be at the forefront of micro-mobility across the Middle East.”

 

Waleed Alesia, Chief Executive Officer of Raza, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Circ to bring e-scooters to our properties and communities in Saudi Arabia. This collaboration exemplifies our pledge to sustainability and mobility, as well as our commitment to being early adopters of technology. We will continue to collaborate with organisations whose values are closely aligned with ours, facilitating the integration of sustainable mobility in the region.”  

 

The move echoes Saudi’s Vision 2030 of establishing a vibrant society, rooted by sustainability as one of its core pillars.  Bader Al Kalooti, Co-Founder and COO of Circ MENA added, “The Kingdom has a unique opportunity to lead the global community in developing cleaner, safer and better-connected journeys. With this agreement Circ will offer Digital City and Diplomatic Quarters with an alternative, fully-electric transportation option that is quicker and more convenient for short-distance trips within and around a community, enables first and last mile travel to public transport locations, and is equitable and affordable for all income brackets. We are delighted to be working with Raza as they help us achieve our mission to serve affordable, sustainable and better-connected journeys for everyone.”

 

 

The first district in the rollout with Raza is Digital City. The project is  home to information technology companies around the world. It paves the way for local and global investments from companies interested in or are already adept in the IT field. Digital City aims to spread, consolidate and upgrade the information technology and communication sector in Saudi Arabia. The project developed and managed by Raza, aims to support the business needs of technology companies.

 

The Diplomatic Quarters is a self-sufficient community in Riyadh, with supermarkets, fast-food chains, coffee shops and a petrol station. The area is filled with embassies and residential compounds, plus dining options from fast-food chains to upscale European and Middle Eastern restaurants. A walking trail around the area passes parks such as grassy Tuwaiq Garden and offers views of Wadi Hanifah valley. [Gl1] 

 

In its first four months of UAE operations, Circ has entered partnerships with three leading Abu Dhabi community and real estate management companies and is currently available in 12 locations across the capital city.  As part of its ongoing commitment to the region, Circ’s expansion aspirations include further UAE penetration, as well as tapping into new markets in the Gulf.  The Circ mobile application, which is used to easily ‘unlock’ the e-scooters and manage rides, will also be reworked to include an Arabic language option in the coming weeks.

 

“As our operations across the region continue to expand, our aim is to tailor our offering to meet our customer’s every need.  Our e-scooters are already tailored to the region and are equipped to deal with the harsh weather conditions and terrain, and so the logical next step was to ensure we regionalise even further and communicate with our local customers in the mother tongue,” Dhanoa added.

 

Circ scooters can be found in various locations within the approved operational areas and communities.  The Circ app includes safety instructions, navigational tips, guidelines, online and safe payment options, tutorials and more.  All Circ rides include comprehensive insurance for personal accident, third-party liability and product liability coverage.