VEON Signs MoU with Hala to Expand Ride-Hailing in Five Markets
VEON has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hala to explore ride-hailing expansion across its five operating markets, leveraging its existing services in Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The collaboration framework includes joint market entry, customer acquisition strategies and integration with VEON’s broader digital ecosystem serving 140 million monthly users.
1. MoU Signing and Objectives
On February 17, VEON and Hala formalized a partnership via a Memorandum of Understanding at VEON’s Dubai headquarters. The MoU establishes a framework to evaluate joint market entry and expansion opportunities for ride-hailing and mobility services across VEON’s five operating markets.
2. Strategic Rationale
VEON brings digital scale and local market presence in frontier economies while Hala offers operational expertise in e-hailing and technology integration. The partnership aims to combine these strengths to develop locally relevant ride-hailing platforms integrated within VEON’s suite of digital services.
3. Existing Ride-Hailing Operations
VEON currently operates Uklon in Ukraine and Uzbekistan, witnessing strong demand for locally built mobility solutions. This foundation informs the evaluation of similar services in Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh where VEON serves a combined population of 530 million.
4. Next Steps and Timeline
Both companies will jointly assess commercial, operational and technological foundations, including collaboration models and customer acquisition approaches. Detailed timelines and roll-out plans will be defined following completion of the joint evaluations.