The House of Representative’s ICT committee appears to have pushed Careem to incorporate taxi drivers into its database of drivers. The company announced yesterday that 42,000 “white taxi” drivers will be added to the ride-hailing app’s roster of drivers after the Eid Al Adha holidays, Al Borsa reports. Users will apparently be able choose whether to be picked up by a private car or by a taxi. At hearings meant to develop a framework for ride-hailing platforms, the House of Representative’s ICT Committee had been pushing Uber and Careem to incorporate taxi drivers into their business as part of a series of “recommendations” MPs are pushing.

Careem hires Google vet Fakharany as MD Egypt, SVP gov’t relations: With the ongoing threat of regulatory interference in Egypt and amid a crackdown on Careem and Uber drivers in the UAE, it’s not surprising that Careem has brought former regional Google boss Wael Fakharany in as MD for Egypt and senior vice president for government relations. Fakharany, who appears to have joined on 1 September, said incorporating white cab drivers into the app will help Careem better address the needs of the local market, according to Al Mal.