Business & Money | Wednesday 1 August, 2018 11:45 am |

Uber today announces the launch of ‘Injury Protection’ – a new insurance program which covers Driver and Delivery Partners who use Uber across Saudi Arabia – in partnership with AXA, one of the world’s most trusted insurer.

 

Stemming from the company’s global commitment to the safety and security of its Driver and Delivery Partners, a key part of the product is the ability for drivers to be protected from some of the financial cost of injury, including medical expenses or lost earning opportunities where an accident takes place while driving or delivering using the Uber app.  The insurance policies will be fully funded by Uber at no cost to Driver and Delivery Partners and will protect all Drivers and passengers on the trips and delivery partners while providing delivery services using the Uber app.

 

Commenting on the partnership, Pierre Dimitri Gore Coty, Vice President and Regional General Manager of Europe Middle East and Africa at Uber, said: “The introduction of ‘Injury Protection’ marks a milestone for us in line with our commitment to be a better partner and ensure the best safety practices for our driver and delivery partners by listening to their needs. The insurance program, in partnership with one of the leading insurance companies, AXA, is designed to provide Uber Partners with peace of mind while preserving the flexibility they value. We believe that we have an important role to play in empowering people to get access to quality economic opportunities and we are excited to have developed a leading insurance product for the ride sharing industry here in Saudi Arabia.”

 

All Uber’s driver-partners and Uber Eats delivery-partners are automatically enrolled to benefit from the insurance coverage, however, participation is not compulsory, and partners are able to opt-out if they wish.

 

Gary Lewin, CEO of AXA Saudi, said: “Our partnership with Uber reflects our commitment to support the communities in which we operate in, as we continue to protect people. At AXA, we believe that creating a sense of security in the minds of people leads to a better quality of life, and through the ‘Group Personal Accident (Injury Protection)’ policy, we want to ensure all Uber Drivers and Passengers and Delivery Partners have access to the best insurance protection.”

 

‘Injury Protection ‘commences on 1 August 2018 and will cover more than 170,000 active independent Uber Driver and Delivery Partners across Saudi Arabia up to certain limits. Summary of coverage is available here.

 

Uber has played an active role in the government’s ‘Saudization’ program, having signed up more than 200,000 Saudis to drive on Uber in the last two years.  Earlier this year, Uber also announced ‘Masaruky’– a two-year initiative aimed to increase Saudi women’s participation in the workforce through access to transportation. The campaign so far includes SAR 1 million pledge that will be used to pay for women’s driving schools and licensing in partnership with Al Nahda as well as a recently announced ‘women preferred view’ pilot that will allow female drivers to choose a preference for female riders. The pilot is expected to launch in the fall.