Hala, the UAE's leading e-hailing taxi platform and a joint venture between Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority and Careem, has appointed Basil Hovakeemian as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Clemence Dutertre who led the company since its launch in 2019. Hovakeemian, who served as Director of Strategy and Expansion for two years, will assume the role with immediate effect, according to the company's board announcement.
Hovakeemian's appointment is part of a broader leadership restructuring at the RTA-Careem joint venture. Former CEO Dutertre will transition to become Vice President of Marketing for Careem and a Board Director for Hala. The company statement said Hovakeemian will drive the firm with a focus on elevating customer experience and is described as passionate about empowering people through a culture of trust and autonomy that fosters innovation. Hovakeemian commented that Hala has played a central role in connecting Dubai and providing a trustworthy taxi booking solution, adding he is excited about potential expansion to additional riders and business verticals beyond its core taxi booking service.
Hovakeemian joined Hala in August 2019 from a career in strategy consulting. Most recently as Director of Strategy and Expansion, he was responsible for the company's strategic direction and played a key role in Hala's rapid growth to become the leading position in Dubai's e-hailing market. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from IE Business School and a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Washington. Before Hala, Hovakeemian worked at the German consulting firm Roland Berger, advising public and private sector clients on strategy, market entry, technology and digitalisation. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at Procter and Gamble, where he led product innovation and development across North America, Canada, Europe and the MENA region.
Hala, launched in 2019 as the first public-private partnership between a government transport authority and a private ride-hailing company, enables customers to book Dubai taxis through the Careem app. The platform achieved its one-millionth booking within weeks of its official launch on August 29, 2019, and has grown significantly thereafter. Careem itself is a subsidiary of Uber, which acquired the ride-hailing platform in a $3.1 billion transaction in 2020. Hala expanded to Ras Al Khaimah in July 2020 and operates with a fleet of thousands of licensed vehicles. The service is positioned as an affordable alternative to private ride-hailing, integrating traditional Dubai taxis with app-based booking convenience.
Hovakeemian's appointment represents a classic succession strategy in which an internal executive with deep strategic knowledge and proven track record assumes the top role. His elevation from Director of Strategy and Expansion directly to CEO signals continuity in execution while his product innovation experience at a global consumer goods company may support Hala's stated ambition to expand beyond taxi booking into additional business verticals. The appointment suggests Hala intends to maintain its focus on customer experience and operational growth while exploring new revenue streams, consistent with the company's expansion trajectory since launch.
