Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has declared the official launch of its joint venture with ride-hailing company Careem, joining world-class technology with its market knowledge.

The new company, Hala, is the advance way to book a Dubai Taxi. Via the Careem app, it gives access to customers to ride at the touch of a button, said a statement from RTA. Hala is the key to unlocking the most convenient and benificial travel in the city.

The launch was announced during a press event attended by Ahmed Bahrozyan, Chief Executive Officer of Public Transport Agency (PTA), Bassel Al Nahlaoui - Managing Director of Careem Gulf and Pakistan, and Clemence Dutertre - Chief Executive Officer of Hala, Ibrahim Sultan AlHaddad, Director, Commercial & Investment Department Hala Board member, and Adel Shakeri, Director, Planning and Business Development, Public Transport Agency at RTA.

Conveying his pride at the official launch of Hala, Bahrozyan said this step reflects RTA’s commitment to the directions and aspirations of Dubai Government in the digital transformation of all services, especially in the field of mobility in the emirate.

This practice will help boost taxi sector in Dubai in terms of easy availability to vehicles through e-hailing, which helps the Authority to achieve integration between the various means of transport.

He stated further that the partnership with Careem was established in several stages, the first of which was in December 2018 in the presence of Mattar Al Tayer, General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, and Careem officials.

In July, the brand of the joint venture was named "Hala". The trial run of the e-hailing service started with 2,000 of Dubai Taxis via Careem App, and the official launch will now cover 5,500 taxis by mid-September.

Agreements have been signed between "Hala" and the seven taxi franchise companies in Dubai. Careem’s e-hailing system has been unified with RTA’s taxi management systems, said the statement.

The aim is to bring down the predicted Time of Arrival to less than 5 minutes over the next few months, he added.