Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi met with Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II to discuss expanding the company’s services in the kingdom, less than three weeks after Uber shut down operations in Nigeria and Uganda.
The meeting took place on September 21 on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. Discussions covered potential cooperation in tourism services, coordination with Jordan’s “Jordan Source” initiative, and the expansion of Uber’s services in the country.
The Jordan Opportunity
Uber has operated in Jordan for years, including through its Uber Taxi service, which it launched in 2019 by connecting the company’s technology with licensed local taxi drivers. The launch made Jordan the first market in the Middle East where Uber introduced the product.
The latest talks indicate that Jordan remains a market where Uber sees opportunities to expand its mobility offering, even as the company has pulled out of some African markets.
The African Exits
Uber announced on September 2 that it would cease operations in Nigeria after 12 years, while also ending its operations in Uganda. The company said the Nigeria decision followed a review of its business but did not provide a specific reason for the withdrawal.
The exits came as ride-hailing platforms faced higher operating costs in parts of Africa, including rising fuel, vehicle-maintenance, and other business expenses.
The Global Reorganization
Khosrowshahi’s meeting in Jordan also comes as Uber reorganizes globally. On September 2, the CEO announced organizational changes that included reducing Uber’s workforce by about 10% and concentrating investment on what the company described as its biggest opportunities.
Despite those changes, Uber reported strong international performance in the second quarter of 2026, with gross bookings exceeding $58 billion and international growth remaining strong.
The Bottom Line
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi met with Jordan’s Crown Prince to discuss expanding the company’s services in the kingdom. The meeting came less than three weeks after Uber exited Nigeria and Uganda. Jordan remains a key market where Uber already operates its Uber Taxi service. The talks highlight a contrasting direction for Uber: withdrawing from some African markets while deepening its footprint in the Middle East.
My Opinion
Uber is retreating from Africa’s hardest markets and doubling down where the math works better. Nigeria and Uganda were expensive to operate. Fuel costs were rising. The regulatory environment was unpredictable. The margins were thin. Jordan, by contrast, has an established taxi network, a government eager to partner, and a Crown Prince willing to take a meeting at the UN General Assembly.
This is not a moral failure. It is a business decision. Uber is a publicly traded company. It answers to shareholders, not to the Nigerian drivers who depended on it for income. If the economics do not work, the company leaves. That is how markets function.
But it is worth asking what Uber’s exit says about the broader investment climate. When a global giant like Uber decides that Nigeria is not worth the cost of doing business, it sends a signal. Other companies notice. The ride-hailing market in Nigeria will survive. Bolt and InDrive are still there. Local alternatives will fill the gap. But the drivers who lost their livelihoods are not thinking about market signals. They are thinking about their next paycheck.
Uber met a Crown Prince in New York three weeks after it left Nigerian drivers behind. That contrast is not lost on anyone paying attention.
