Ekar, founded in 2016 by Vilhelm Hedberg, is the Middle East’s first and largest self-drive mobility company, headquartered in Dubai, UAE. The company’s initial concept was to provide car-sharing services to cabin crew of Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways, addressing their need for affordable transportation given their frequent travel schedules. This began with a 15-vehicle pilot program with Etihad Airways, eventually expanding to 100 car-share vehicles and a partnership with the UAE’s Roads and Transport Authority.
Ekar offers on-demand access to a network of car-share and subscription leasing vehicles through its “Self- Drive Super App,” aiming to improve how people consume transportation. Users can rent cars on a flexible pay-per-minute basis or through monthly subscriptions, managing their rentals via a mobile app. Ekar has grown significantly, managing over 2,000 cars by late 2021 and serving more than 200,000 customers with 1.3 million trips in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The company has expanded its services beyond the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with plans for further international growth. Ekar is notable for being the first car-sharing company globally to offer Tesla vehicles in its fleet, showcasing its commitment to technology-driven mobility solutions and sustainability. Ekar’s vision is to scale by enabling car rental and leasing companies, as well as peer-to-peer rentals, through its Mobility OS.
