Latest news with #Justlife
Entrepreneur
3 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Careem Takes Another Step Toward 'Everything App' with Justlife Partnership
"Together, we're making everyday life easier across the UAE, one home, one service at a time." You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Careem continues with its goal to build the Everything App for the greater Middle East by partnering with Justlife to expand its offering of home services to customers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with services expanding to Sharjah soon. Customers can now book specialty cleaning (including furniture, AC, and deep cleaning), packing and moving support, IV therapy and lab testing (including vitamin tests, diabetic profiling, kidney analysis, and more), and pest control services directly via the Careem app. These new offerings build on Careem's existing Home Services powered by Justlife, which include standard home cleaning, salon and spa at home, massage, and more. All services are accessible under the 'Home Services' section on the Careem app, with additional offerings to be launched in the coming months. Guido Pansera, General Manager, Home Services at Careem, commented, "Justlife has been a valued partner of Careem's for over four years, enabling our customers to book home services in just a few taps. We're excited to expand the offering further and deliver even more convenience for our customers across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with services coming to customers in Sharjah in the next few weeks." Ali Cagatay Ozcan, co-founder and CEO of Justlife, added, "At Justlife, we're obsessed with making every booking experience exceptional. Our professionals are at the heart of that promise, and in Careem, we've found a partner who shares our passion for customer care and community impact. Together, we're making everyday life easier across the UAE, one home, one service at a time." Related: Fueling Up: Careem's Entrepreneurial Journey Is Back On, Says Co-Founder And CEO Mudassir Sheikha
TECHx
3 days ago
- Business
- TECHx
Careem Expands Justlife Partnership for Home Services in UAE
Home » Smart Sectors » Mobility » Careem Expands Justlife Partnership for Home Services in UAE Careem has announced an expansion of its partnership with Justlife to offer a wider range of home services to customers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The company revealed that services will soon be available in Sharjah as well. Customers can now book specialty cleaning, including furniture, AC, and deep cleaning. In addition, Careem has introduced packing and moving support, IV therapy, and lab testing services such as vitamin tests, diabetic profiling, and kidney analysis. Pest control services are also now accessible via the Careem app. These new offerings build on Careem's existing Home Services powered by Justlife, which already include standard home cleaning, salon and spa at home, and massage services. All services can be found under the 'Home Services' section of the Careem app, with more options planned for launch in the coming months. Guido Pansera, GM of Home Services at Careem, reported that Justlife has been a valued partner for over four years. He expressed excitement about expanding the service range to enhance convenience across the UAE. Careem Plus members receive a 10% discount on all home service categories, with no cap on the discount. Non-members can also access limited-time promotions and category-specific discounts via the app. Over 70% of Careem Home Services bookings come from Careem Plus members, who average two to three bookings monthly. Careem Plus members also enjoy other exclusive benefits, such as free delivery on food and groceries, up to 50% off dining bills via Careem DineOut, special rates on international money transfers through Careem Pay, and cashback on rides. To explore the full range of home services, customers can download or open the latest version of the Careem app and select 'Home Services' on the home screen.
Khaleej Times
30-06-2025
- Khaleej Times
No visas, Dh81,000 fines: How a Dubai expat helped 8 workers get their passports back
A UAE resident has become something of an unexpected hero for a group of undocumented workers after she took it upon herself to help them break away from an employer. British expat Jessica Madi often booked the domestic services of one of the workers, 36-year-old Noresil (full name withheld on request), on an hourly basis from a leading cleaning agency in the UAE. But when the Filipina arrived at Jessica's home on April 9, limping due to a foot injury, it sparked a series of events that have given Noresil and others hope in an otherwise difficult situation. "I asked if she had seen a doctor," recalled Jessica, 30. "She told me she couldn't afford to take a day off or visit a clinic; she had no health insurance because she didn't have a valid work visa. I was surprised, as working in the UAE without a permit is illegal." They sat down and dialled Noresil's employer, N.E. (full name withheld), who "screamed at the worker and threw insults at her", according to Jessica, who overheard the conversation. When she intervened, he claimed Noresil's visa was "under process". However, the Filipina said she'd been working for him for over four months. In the UAE, employment visas are usually processed within a week. Jessica raised a complaint with Justlife, the platform she used to book the service. "I got a call back within 10 minutes, and they said Noresil wasn't their employee but was outsourced," Jessica said. "I booked the service through them, not an unknown agency they outsource from, so I expected them to have conducted due diligence." Confiscated passports Noresil had originally arrived in the UAE from the Philippines in 2022. She worked as a housemaid in Al Ain for two years and, when her contract expired, re-entered the country on a visit visa while continuing her job search. It was during this time that N.E. offered Noresil a job while she was on visit visa. She began working in December as a domestic worker with a monthly salary of Dh2,000. "He took my passport after promising a job; I was never really given a choice," Noresil said. When Jessica asked Noresil why she was still working for her employer, Noresil told her that N.E. was holding her passport and "unwilling to hand it over". To resolve matters, Jessica took Noresil to the Al Barsha Police Station to report the conditions of her employment and passport confiscation. The police instructed them to head to N.E.'s office and call for patrol assistance. By the time they arrived at the Satwa apartment, seven more undocumented workers — who said they had all been employed similarly by N.E. without proper visas — joined them, hoping to get their passports back. Khaleej Times spoke to the property manager of the building, who confirmed that a Dubai Police patrol officer had responded to the women's call and worked with the apartment owner to compel N.E. to return the passports, which he finally handed over to building security. Yet, over WhatsApp voice messages — which Khaleej Times obtained — N.E. continued to threaten and intimidate the workers, warning them of retribution. Overstay fines totalling Dh81,450 Despite the victory of helping the workers obtain their passports, Jessica decided her work was not done. She reached out to members of the British expat community online to help revise the CVs of the eight workers and enrol some of them in childcare training. The Dubai resident invited them to her home, gathered their details, and calculated their outstanding visa fines. The eight of them face a total of Dh81,450 in fines for overstaying. "I am working with lawyers to get their fines waived. We have compiled a case, and hope officials will recognise it as a humanitarian issue. They are the victims and were trapped in an exploitative environment," she asserted. Khaleej Times' email queries to N.E. went unanswered. However, over the phone, he distanced himself from the maid agency that employed the maids and claimed to have severed ties with them. It is worth noting that the company's trade licence, a copy of which has been obtained, lists N.E.'s name in the address. When asked why he had confiscated the cleaners' passports, N.E. claimed that the company was trying to secure new visas, which were under process, and that some of them had already incurred fines for overstaying. According to the workers' passports, several were already working for him when the UAE launched the 2024 Amnesty programme for illegal expats with fines. N.E. declined to continue the conversation without his lawyer present. Lost amnesty chance Bangladeshi nationals Alamgir and Tushar were two of the other workers who claim they were hired by N.E. on September 9, 2024, with promises of work visas and employment. Alamgir's work visa expired in August 2024, and he incurred a month's worth of fines for overstaying. "N.E. assured me he would fix everything and we trusted him. He took us to offices, collected our fingerprints, and even took us to Tasheel," Alamgir said. During UAE's amnesty programme, they requested N.E. to help them regularise their visa as he held their passports. However, both Alamgir and Tushar say N.E. kept stalling throughout the two-month Amnesty period. They claim that on the last day before the October deadline, he secured an exit pass from Sharjah that would have allowed them to leave UAE without paying fines. But he withheld the documents, which expired after 14 days. "I now have more than Dh12,000 fine and no proper employment," Alamgir said. Tushar, who arrived on a visit visa in March 2023, was working odd jobs when he joined N.E. 'He kept promising a visa but never delivered. We missed the amnesty as well. If I knew he wouldn't help, I would've handled it myself and returned home. No one wants to live illegally,' said Tushar, who now faces Dh33,000 in fines. Justlife suspends partner agency Responding to an inquiry from Khaleej Times, Justlife stated that it had conducted an internal review of Jessica's booking and examined the partner agency's employment practices. It noted that agencies listed on their platform must hold a valid UAE trade licence and sign an agreement. "That agreement obliges the agency to ensure that each professional it deploys [to customers] is a legal resident with a current employment visa and Emirates ID; all documents must be uploaded to the platform before the first booking and renewed within thirty days of expiry, failing which the professional is suspended from further work." However, in Noresil's case, it appears that those measures were not enforced. In response to a followup inquiry from Khaleej Times concerning the enforcement of those measures in Noresil's case, Justlife said it had taken "an immediate and precautionary step, and the partner agency was suspended from their platform". It added that it also gave the partner agency a "documented remediation path to address the issues identified", and told them that "failure to remedy these would result in permanent suspension". At the time of filing this report, Khaleej Times was unable to verify the "documented remediation path" mentioned. Justlife has emphasised that it operates only as a marketplace, adding that while Noresil was "not directly employed" by the company, it is "highly sensitive to the fact that customers place their trust in the Justlife name, and that trust is something we take seriously." The company highlighted measures it has implemented to support workers' welfare, including a confidential escalation channel, a direct-to-professional incentive, and tip disbursement via prepaid cards. Separately, Justlife assured Jessica that it would carry out internal audits of all 3,900 employees registered under the platform to address any oversights. The company added that it is "strengthening [its] oversight processes across the wider partner network to confirm continued compliance with UAE labour standards." What the labour law says According to Hossam Zakaria, a senior legal counsel in Dubai specialising in complex corporate litigation, companies that hire workers through third parties should conduct due diligence before bringing workers into residents' homes. According to UAE domestic worker laws, companies must verify that workers have valid work permits and proper documentation. "When a company uses domestic workers without proper documentation, they can face significant legal consequences. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers, recruitment agencies are considered employers in cases of temporary employment and are responsible for ensuring workers have proper documentation and legal status," Zakaria said. He added, "UAE law explicitly prohibits the exploitation of workers, including passport confiscation, failure to provide proper visas, and non-payment of salaries. These practices are illegal under UAE law and can lead to severe penalties." Passport confiscation is explicitly prohibited and deemed illegal in the UAE. Consequences for violators can include imprisonment as well as fines up to Dh20,000. Getting relief from overstay fines In 2022, the UAE introduced a daily fine of Dh50 for overstaying on all visa types, including tourist, visit, and residency visas. This fine applies from the first day after the visa expires, with no grace period. For domestic workers who have been forced to work without valid visas, there are potential ways to get relief from overstay fines. According to Zakaria, "Courts may waive fines in cases where exploitation is proven. The newly established prosecution unit for domestic workers can advocate for victims' rights. However, each case is assessed individually, and there's no automatic waiver of overstay fines, even for victims of exploitation." He added that "authorities generally encourage overstayers to come forward voluntarily, as this often results in more lenient treatment." Currently, Jessica is trying to get the workers' fines waived by the immigration department, but says she is struggling. She's also looking to start her own cleaning company to employ these workers ethically and allow them to live legally in the UAE. "Without having their fines waived and their legal status regularised, I cannot employ them," Jessica said. "This forces them to remain in the country illegally and pushes them back into the same cycle of working without a valid permit and inevitably breaking the law."
Fintech News ME
23-06-2025
- Business
- Fintech News ME
Dubai's Justlife Introduces Financial Inclusion Measures for On-Demand Workers
Justlife, a Dubai-based lifestyle services platform, has expanded its professional welfare programme with an enhanced focus on financial access, timely incentive disbursements, and broader well-being initiatives for its network of service professionals and drivers across the region. In collaboration with Edenred, Justlife launched the Justlife C3Pay Card in October 2022, allowing for direct incentive payments to professionals. To date, more than 5,000 active users, comprising 3,619 service professionals and 458 drivers, have received a C3Pay card upon onboarding. The system has improved the incentive payout process by removing reliance on third-party providers and offering secure, direct access to earnings. The initiative aims to address longstanding industry issues, such as delays in payment, incorrect allocations, and limited access to formal banking. By routing all bonuses and tips through a Justlife-managed card, the platform ensures professionals receive their full compensation on time, an important improvement for many who remain outside traditional financial systems. As part of its continued efforts, Justlife is also launching a financial education programme tailored to its service professionals. Delivered in partnership with Edenred, the sessions will cover key topics including budgeting, saving, responsible borrowing, and fraud awareness. The company has stated that financial empowerment must extend beyond access to include education on how to manage and make use of available tools. Kerem Kuyucu, Co-Founder of Justlife, said: 'Our professionals are at the heart of everything we do. That's why we listen, we evolve, and we act. This initiative with Edenred is more than just about faster payments. It's about trust, financial freedom, and creating a platform that gives back.' The company has also introduced weekly tip payouts and regular bonus releases, replacing its previous monthly schedule. In addition to financial measures, Justlife provides well-being and engagement activities such as awards events, spa sessions, and group outings to support morale and foster community. Feedback mechanisms include quarterly Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys and an in-app feature for raising concerns. These are managed by a central Quality department that ensures follow-up in line with company standards and ethical guidelines. Justlife also offers role-specific onboarding and refresher training sessions across its service categories. Training durations vary: four to ten days for home cleaning, five to eight days for beauty and spa services, and one to two days for specialty services.
Mid East Info
02-05-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Al-Futtaim Blue and Justlife partner to offer exclusive rewards to customers in the UAE - Middle East Business News and Information
Partnership offers enhanced convenience and value for both Al-Futtaim Blue and Justlife customers Al-Futtaim Blue: members to earn Blue points and exclusive discounts on Justlife home cleaning, maintenance, beauty and wellness services, and much more Dubai, United Arab Emirates;May 2025: Al-Futtaim loyalty programme Blue has partnered with Justlife, a leading online marketplace for home services, to offer exclusive benefits and rewards to customers in the UAE. This collaboration will enhance customers' everyday lives with added convenience, value, and savings. Blue members can now earn 1 Blue point for every 1 AED spent on Justlife services. Points can be accumulated by uploading digital receipts through the Blue app within three days of purchase. These points can be redeemed for a wide range of rewards within the Al-Futtaim ecosystem and beyond. Furthermore, Blue members will also enjoy AED 140 off across four Justlife services in the UAE. Details about the specific services included in this offer, validity dates, and the required promo code are now available on the Blue Rewards app. Commenting on the announcement, Dany Karam, Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer at Al-Futtaim Blue, said: 'We are excited to partner with Justlife to offer our Blue members enhanced value and convenience. This partnership is a testament to Al-Futtaim's ongoing efforts to enrich our customers' lives through innovative solutions and meaningful rewards. By combining the power of Blue with 'Justlife's' top-tier services, we're delivering a seamless and rewarding experience that simplifies everyday life for our members across the UAE and other markets.' Meanwhile, Baris Kocdur, VP of Marketing at Justlife, said: 'At Justlife, our mission is to simplify daily life for our customers. Partnering with Al-Futtaim Blue elevates this mission, unlocking seamless convenience and exceptional rewards for more people across the UAE. Together, we're making life simpler—and more rewarding—one service at a time.' As part of its ongoing digital transformation strategy, Al-Futtaim is committed to leveraging technology and partnerships to enhance customer experiences. The strategic alliance with Justlife exemplifies this approach, offering members a convenient digital gateway to essential everyday services. Blue offers free membership and a wide range of benefits, including 2 for 1 offers, discounts, point accumulation, and cashback across diverse sectors. By combining their strengths, Blue and Justlife are empowering customers in the UAE to boost value, enjoy exclusive offers, and simplify their daily lives. About Al-Futtaim: Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and health; employing more than 33,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, we partner with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim's entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enable the organisation to continue to grow and expand, responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration, and integrity, Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers every day. About Blue: Blue is Al-Futtaim's lifestyle platform that redefines how customers engage with their favourite brands. Operating across nine countries – UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Malaysia, and Singapore – Blue connects millions of members with diversified offers tailored to their needs. With a growing ecosystem spanning retail, automotive, dining, leisure, entertainment, wellness and more, Blue delivers a seamless blend of rewards, convenience, and innovation. Now powered by Blue AI, a cutting-edge lifestyle advisor and customer engagement feature, the platform offers personalized guidance, tailored recommendations, and one-click solutions to enhance everyday experiences. Whether discovering exclusive offers, enjoying instant product suggestions, or unlocking unique shopping experiences, Blue transforms life's moments into smarter, more meaningful connections with the brands you love. For more information, download Blue today. About Justlife: Justlife is the region's leading on-demand home services platform, designed to simplify everyday living by connecting customers with trusted, high-quality service professionals. Through its website and mobile application, Justlife enables users to book a wide range of services — including home cleaning, salon and spa at home, healthcare, maintenance, and more — in under a minute. Founded in 2015 with a mission to give people back their time, Justlife ensures seamless experiences through prompt customer support, trained and certified professionals, and consistently high service standards. With a focus on convenience, reliability, and quality, Justlife continues to change the way the region experiences home services — one service at a time.
