Uber advances safety measures for Saudi Arabia through Unilever partnership

Uber and Unilever are bolstering safety in Saudi Arabia by supplying over 17,000 hygiene products to drivers, as the country continues to move out of lockdown.

Products including Lifebuoy hand sanitizers and Jif anti-bacterial wipes will be distributed in hygiene kits to drivers; enabling drivers and riders to clean their hands and wipe down the inside surfaces of cars after every trip. Face masks are also included in the hygiene kit on top of the 300,000 masks Uber has distributed across the region so far, with plans to continue as needed.

Drivers can pick up their kits from numerous Al Dawaa Pharmacies. As drivers across the country receive their products, riders may notice Lifebuoy hand sanitizers and Jif anti-bacterial wipes available for their Uber journeys.

As part of the partnership, Uber and Unilever will be providing in-car separators for vehicles which are highly active on Uber’s platform. This is part of Uber’s $50 million global commitment to help provide equipment for clean and hygienic rides at no additional cost to drivers.

Uber and Unilever first announced the collaboration in May with a pilot rolled out in the UK, with the intention of bringing the partnership to other markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Mohammad Gazzaz, Uber’s General Manager for Saudi Arabia, said: “As communities get moving again, we all have a role to play in helping to keep each other safe. At Uber, the safety of drivers and riders is our most important priority, so we’re proud to partner with Unilever to ensure drivers have access to the cleaning and sanitizing products they need, at no additional cost to them.”

Sanjiv Kakkar, EVP for North Africa, Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, said: “As travel restrictions begin to ease, the need for safer transportation is crucial to move into the new normal. Unilever’s trusted brands, Lifebuoy and Jif, are making the world a safer, healthier, and cleaner place. We’re delighted to work with Uber at a time when protecting our community has never been so important.”

This collaboration complements a number of enhanced safety features that Uber has rolled out to help everyone using the app stay safe and healthy. This includes mandating masks for both riders and drivers and offering them the flexibility to cancel a ride without incurring a penalty if they are not wearing a mask. Drivers are also asked to undertake additional safety measures such as regularly sanitizing their car and making hand sanitizer available for riders. Similarly, riders are required to wash their hands before getting in the car, sit in the backseat and not exceed the maximum number of people allowed in a vehicle at a time.

This is in addition to the core safety features on the app including GPS tracking, two-way accountability, driver screenings, real-time ID check, trusted contacts, caller anonymization, and emergency integration that have been introduced as Uber continues to put safety at the heart of everything it does.