“Decarbonising mobility at scale” is how Anmol Singh Jaggi, the co-founder of Indian ride-hailing start-up BluSmart, sums up the company's mission.
BluSmart, which started operations in Dubai in June, is planning to expand its operations in the UAE, betting on an all-electric taxi fleet to attract environmentally-conscious travellers and challenge its market rivals including the Uber-owned Careem.
“Everyone understands that the carbon emissions that we are doing, we will have to pay for all these sins sooner or later. The sooner we can solve the problem of lower carbon reduction, the better,” says Mr Jaggi, who is also the chief executive of BluSmart.
“Many people asked me 'why did you go to the UAE when it's such an oil-rich nation?' But my whole idea is that if an oil-rich nation can start to decarbonise then it is much, much easier for any other nation in the world to go and decarbonise.”
BluSmart aim is first to enter the Abu Dhabi market and then make a push for Saudi Arabia within the next 12 months, Mr Jaggi tells The National.
The company is currently offering its Dubai customers rides in the Audi e-tron luxury electric cars, with a promise of zero-emissions, no driver cancellations and “reliable” fares that do not fluctuate with variables like peak traffic or poor weather.
City rides start with a base fare of Dh25 ($6.8), while the option to rent a car for a minimum of two hours starts at Dh299.
Boasting a fleet of 30 Audi e-trons and a workforce of 60 drivers, BluSmart has placed an order for an additional 70 electric vehicles that will be delivered by October, Mr Jaggi says.
It plans to end the year with 150 EVs and 225 drivers.
Mr Jaggi sees a lucrative opportunity for green transport in the UAE market driven by an increase in its population and in tourist arrivals.
BluSmart's growth projections in the Gulf country call for a fleet of 1,200 EVs and a workforce of 1,800 drivers in 2025.
Within the next three years, the company aims to have a 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the UAE's market share as the country's fleet of taxis swells from 25,000 cars currently to 35,000 cars over that period.
The UAE government's push into renewable energy is expected to significantly transform the transport sector, with important implications for ride-hailing companies.
As a new entrant into the UAE, BluSmart is seeking to seize the momentum by challenging market rivals on car electrification. It directly manages its fleet and its drivers to ensure reliability of service, cleanliness of cars and its drivers cannot cancel bookings received on their BluSmart app.
Mr Jaggi says this offering will help it lure riders away from rivals in its home market India and, in new markets such as Saudi Arabia, where there are customer satisfaction issues around clean cars, on-time services and stable pricing policies.
Green transport is a key focus in the UAE's sustainability goals. In 2021, the UAE unveiled its Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, a Dh600 billion ($163.37 billion) plan to invest in clean and renewable energy sources over the next three decades.
It was the first Gulf country to commit to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Electric mobility is also part of the transformation into smart cities. Abu Dhabi has broken into the world's top 10 smartest cities, climbing three places from last year to 10th in the Smart City Index 2024 compiled by Switzerland's International Institute for Management Development (IMD), which was released in April.
Dubai also rose in the ranking of 142 cities, rising from 17th last year to 12th.
BluSmart, which is backed by BP's venture arm and Zurich-based sustainable investment firm responsAbility Investments AG, started in December 2019 in Delhi before the Covid-19 pandemic halted its operations in March 2020 for 18 months. It later expanded to Bengaluru.
BluSmart in India currently has a fleet of 8,000 EVs, more than 10,000 drivers, 4.2 million app downloads and CO2 emissions savings of nearly 40,000 tonnes, according to the company.
The company was co-founded by Mr Jaggi, a serial entrepreneur and petroleum engineer, after he started solar energy production business GenSol Engineering.
Venturing into electric mobility was the next logical step after establishing a renewable energy company focused on producing solar energy.
“I was looking for the next area of growth in the clean and green sector. We thought green mobility was the most appropriate area to move into … 2019 was early days for clean mobility and its adoption was even smaller than it is today,” he says.
With high fuel prices in countries such as India, “EVs make for commercial sense and for environmental sense. As a personal passion of being in the clean energy sector, it gave me the next fillip of what I wanted to do”, he says.
A $1 trillion opportunity
With current technology advances in electric batteries, capacity will double and prices halve from current rates in the next 12 to 18 months, he says.
“The entire sector is going to have a huge amount of tailwind,” he says, which will encourage governments, banks and companies to invest in the industry.
He hopes to capitalise on an early-mover advantage to demonstrate the financial feasibility of the business to banks and governments looking for proven credentials, he says.
Despite challenges in electric mobility such as range anxiety and limited charging stations, these are all opportunities for entrepreneurs, Mr Jaggi says.
Indeed IHS Markit’s research on the future of transportation projects that app-based mobility services – which did not exist a decade ago – will become a $1 trillion market by 2040. These changes will herald major shifts for car makers and energy companies, as well as create big opportunities for new entrants.
BluSmart has raised $136 million in equity to date and aims to raise $200 million in the next three years.
Last month, in its pre-series B round, the company raised $24 million from responsAbility Investments and existing investors. The funds will be used for expanding the fleet and charging infrastructure expansion as well as to cover operational expenses.
Currently in its series B round, the company aims to raise $70 million in the next 12 months, Mr Jaggi says.
In the current financial year, BluSmart is projecting its revenue to reach nearly $90 million and to incur losses of about $30 million, he says.
The company has a target to reach break-even by end of 2025 and it expects a profit of $200 million to $250 million in 2026, as disruptions in the car and fossil fuel industries drive investments in the green transport sector, he says.
BluSmart is optimistic about its growth in new markets such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“There is a great market in Dubai and we want to add Abu Dhabi because there's a lot of synergy between people going between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, whether it's for airports or entertainment or visiting government offices,” Mr Jaggi says.
“What we as a company like to do is go deep in geographies where we are present rather than go wide.”
Q&A with BluSmart co-founder Anmol Singh Jaggi:
Why is establishing a business with a social impact important to you?
Establishing a business with a social impact, such as reducing the environmental impact of mobility, is important to me because our move into clean mobility was driven by a passion for sustainability and the belief in Moore's Law, which suggests that as technology advances, capacities double and prices halve.
In short, we started BluSmart to decarbonise mobility at scale. For us, it was a natural step from a renewable energy company producing solar energy to venturing into electric mobility.
What new skills have you learnt in the process of establishing your start-up?
Building BluSmart from the ground up has taught me invaluable skills in resilience, strategic thinking and the importance of adaptability. The pandemic was one of the toughest times collectively for everyone – personally and as a business. BluSmart's mobility service was impacted. The health of our employees was something we were constantly monitoring and ensuring they remained safe through this critical period. The team showed a lot of resilience during these tough times and as things opened up we were able to quickly bounce back.
How does your business differ from other competitors in the markets you operate in?
We are committed to providing not just a sustainable option but also the highest level of service. Our goal is to set new standards for quality and reliability in every market we enter, ensuring that our customers have a consistently excellent experience. We prioritise clean, on-time, and reliable service, unlike competitors who struggle with high cancellations, unreliable drivers and poorly maintained cars.
If you had the chance to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
From an environmental standpoint, acting sooner is essential to mitigate the damage we’ve caused. As an entrepreneur, I recognise that early movers gain the greatest benefits. The companies that lead in adopting and driving change will be the ones to reap the most significant rewards. Those who entered the clean energy and mobility sectors early have a distinct advantage, just like early players in the fossil fuel and automotive industries. The key is to act before the sector becomes saturated, positioning ourselves as leaders and capturing the maximum potential as the industry evolves.
Did you set up the business at the right time for the market?
Yes, I believe we started BluSmart at exactly the right time. We recognised early on that the world was on the brink of a significant shift towards sustainability, especially in the mobility sector. We were way ahead of the curve by tapping into the EV sector when we launched BluSmart, anticipating the growing demand for clean, reliable, and eco-friendly transportation.
Where do you see yourself and the company in five years' time?
In five years, I envision BluSmart as the global brand that is the driving force behind a global revolution in urban mobility. We aim to be the largest and most influential EV ride-hailing company in the world, operating in major mega-cities across multiple continents. Our goal is not just to participate in the shift towards EVs, but to lead it – transforming entire urban ecosystems by providing zero-emission, reliable, and accessible transportation solutions.
Personally, I see myself continuing to innovate within the clean tech space, expanding our impact, and inspiring other entrepreneurs to prioritise sustainability.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BluSmart
Date started: Mid-2019 in India and June 1 in UAE
Founder(s): Anmol Singh Jaggi, Punit Goyal, Rishabh Sood, Tushar Garg and Anirudh Arun
Based in: Delhi and Bengaluru, with international operations in the UAE
Number of staff: More than 700 employees
Investment stage: Series B
Investment raised: $136 million in equity
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
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CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Abu Dhabi Card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,400m
National selection: AF Mohanak
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 1,400m
National selection: Jayide Al Boraq
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 100,000 1,400m
National selection: Rocket Power
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh 180,000 1,600m
National selection: Ihtesham
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,600m
National selection: Noof KB
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 2.200m
National selection: EL Faust
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
MATCH INFO
England 241-3 (20 ovs)
Malan 130 no, Morgan 91
New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)
Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47
England win by 76 runs
Series level at 2-2
the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
