Senior Director of Government Relations & Public Policy

Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East, making it easier than ever to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Careem is led by a powerful purpose to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organisation that inspires. Since 2012, Careem has created earnings for over 2.5 million Captains, simplified the lives of over 70 million customers, and built a platform for the region’s best talent to thrive and for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. Careem operates in over 70 cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan.

About The Role

Our ambition is to be globally recognized as the most valued and trusted digital platform for our region – partnering with governments to build the digital backbone for our markets and citizens. As we continue to grow, we are looking for a Senior Director of Government Relations & Public Policy to drive the Company’s corporate affairs and public policy agenda and build sustainable long-term regulatory frameworks for our businesses, customers, Captains and government partners across the Middle East. This is a senior role in the region’s largest technology company, requiring a strategic leader with deep experience in policy, regulatory affairs, and corporate communications.

The Senior Director of Government Relations & Public Policy will lead all aspects of government engagement, policy development, and regulatory strategy across Careem’s core businesses, including payments, food delivery, and grocery delivery. The role will involve:

• Developing and executing a comprehensive government relations and regulatory strategy to support Careem’s growth.
• Engaging with senior government stakeholders to advocate for regulatory frameworks that align with both business needs and public policy objectives.
• Leading corporate affairs campaigns to shape public policy discussions and promote Careem’s vision.
• Managing a cross-regional team of government relations specialists based in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
• Collaborating with internal teams, including business development, legal, communications, and product, to align regulatory strategy with company goals.

• Act as Careem’s primary representative in senior-level discussions with government ministries, regulators, and policy-makers, including but not limited to Transportation, Labour, and Finance ministries.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with sector regulators, technology and investment-focused government entities, and policy influencers across Careem’s markets.
• Negotiate and advocate for win-win regulatory outcomes that enable sustainable business growth while addressing government priorities.
• Identify, prioritize, and mitigate regulatory risks while identifying new opportunities for collaboration with government entities.
• Lead the creation of policy white papers, research reports, and economic justifications to support Careem’s policy positions.
• Drive alignment across multiple jurisdictions to ensure a consistent and effective public policy approach.

• Design and execute public policy campaigns to shape industry discussions around ride-hailing, fintech, food delivery, and digital commerce.
• Develop compelling policy content, including case studies, reports, and advocacy materials, to communicate Careem’s impact.
• Map and engage with key non-government stakeholders, including media, industry bodies, think tanks, and multilateral organizations.
• Identify and execute strategic public-private partnerships that enhance Careem’s position in the region.

• Lead and mentor a team of government relations professionals across Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
• Build and maintain a regulatory risk dashboard to track policy developments and their impact on Careem’s businesses.
• Develop internal reports and updates to keep senior leadership informed on regulatory risks, opportunities, and ongoing engagement efforts.

The ideal candidate will be a highly strategic, diplomatic, and results-driven leader with a strong track record in public policy, regulatory affairs, and government relations.

• 10-15 years of experience in government affairs, policy, regulatory strategy, corporate affairs, or a related field. Prior experience in a leading private company, a top law firm, management consultancy, communications agency, or multilateral organization is preferred.
• Proven experience engaging with senior government officials, regulators, and policymakers across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to develop data-driven policy positions and craft compelling advocacy materials.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex regulatory issues into clear, persuasive messaging.
• Experience leading cross-regional teams and managing multi-stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate regulatory uncertainty and drive business outcomes in emerging markets.
• Arabic speaking/ writing skills.
• GCC and Levant experience

• Experience working in the technology, mobility, fintech, FMCG or digital economy sectors.
• Strong quantitative and economic analysis skills to support policy development.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, balancing long-term strategic goals with immediate business needs.

What we’ll provide you

We offer colleagues the opportunity to drive impact in the region while they learn and grow. As a full time Careem colleague, you will be able to:

• Work and learn from great minds by joining a community of inspiring colleagues.
• Put your passion to work in a purposeful organisation dedicated to creating impact in a region with a lot of untapped potential.
• Explore new opportunities to learn and grow every day.
• Work 4 days a week in office & 1 day from home, and remotely from any country in the world for 30 days a year with unlimited vacation days per year. (If you are in an individual contributor role in tech, you will have 2 office days a week and 3 to work from home.)
• Access to healthcare benefits and fitness reimbursements for health activities including gym, health club, and training classes.