Grab users in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines will be able to book rides using the Grab app while visiting Japan and 13 countries in the Middle East, the Southeast Asian ride-hailing unicorn announced Monday.
In a statement, Grab said it has partnered with JapanTaxi in Japan and Careem in the Middle East to provide transport services to Grab users in five Japanese cities – Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, Sapporo, and Okinawa – and in 94 cities across 13 Middle Eastern countries – UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Turkey, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Kuwait.
JapanTaxi has a fleet of 70,000 cars while Dubai-based Careem, which was acquired by Uber for $3.1 billion, has over 1 million drivers in the Middle East. Nikkei Asia Review had earlier reported that Grab will launch a cab-hailing service in Japan.
Grab said the app will be available in the user’s native or preferred language and the ride can be paid through GrabPay Credits.
“This new service is rolled out in partnership with Splyt to give travellers convenient access to ride-hailing services around the world,” it said.
Splyt Technologies is a business-to-business mobility marketplace based in London. Grab and Splyt already enable travellers to book Grab rides across 336 cities in eight Southeast Asian markets through various apps, including Ctrip and AliPay. In June, Grab had participated in Splyt’s $8-million Series A round.
Currently, Splyt is working with Booking Holdings to integrate ride-hailing into its online travel agency platforms. Booking.com consumers will be able to book Grab rides through the online travel platform’s mobile app by the third quarter of this year.
“Our partnership with Splyt further expands our travel program, designed to make travelling in and out of Southeast Asia that much more rewarding and seamless,” Grab said.