Gulf On-Demand Delivery Platforms Remain Partially Operational Amid Ongoing Conflict, Sparking Worker Safety Debates
Even against a backdrop of persistent flight disruptions, widespread public missile alert notifications, and the distinct roar of aerial interceptions sounding overhead, major third-party delivery services such as UAE-based Careem have largely avoided full shutdowns across the Gulf region’s active conflict zones. Service speeds have slowed drastically, deliveries are fully suspended in high-risk areas, and standard routes are constantly reworked to dodge hazard zones, but no leading local apps have turned off their entire networks. Most platforms suffered a short, widespread service outage across the UAE last Saturday, immediately following the first wave of strikes, but all services were restored within hours. Operators state their core goal is to make sure residents retain access to critical daily goods, to preserve as much normalcy of daily life as possible amid unrest.
In a formal statement shared with WIRED Middle East, Careem noted that its operations teams carry out real-time, zone-by-zone safety risk assessments across all service territories, pushing out instant safety alerts and actionable guidance to its fleet of drivers (branded as “Captains” internally) via WhatsApp group broadcasts and SMS. “We have explicitly communicated to all our partner stakeholders that no Captain is required to stay logged into the app and complete shifts if they have any safety concerns about doing so,” the company added.
The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation previously issued official guidance recommending private-sector firms implement remote work policies from March 1 to 3, with exemptions only for critical on-site roles that cannot be fulfilled remotely. A spokesperson for Uber confirmed its ride-hailing services remain fully operational across the emirates, sharing a statement that read: “The safety and wellbeing of both our riders and contracted driver partners is our absolute top priority. We are tracking the on-ground situation in real time, and all our operations will continue to be run in strict alignment with every local government public safety recommendation.” Every major delivery platform that released a public update echoed this core commitment to complying with official safety rules, with Deliveroo clarifying that its teams operate “exclusively in line with latest official government guidance, supported by continuous on-ground safety evaluations.”
The choice to keep delivery services online has sparked fierce, wide-ranging debate across local social media, centered on the disproportionate risk frontline riders are being exposed to. Even with nearly all incoming projectiles intercepted by the UAE’s missile defense systems, interception events still send shrapnel and falling debris raining down across populated areas, creating unmarked road hazards that put two-wheeler riders at extreme risk. The UAE Ministry of Defense has confirmed 3 civilian fatalities and 58 reported injuries across the country since the first wave of strikes launched on February 28.
Critics also point out that a full service shutdown would not automatically remove drivers from harm: riders under pressure to hit strict daily delivery quotas could end up spending even more time traveling outdoors in high-risk conditions to earn enough to cover basic living costs. One anonymous Deliveroo rider, who is employed by a third-party logistics contractor that supplies labor to the platform, explained he faces heavy financial penalties from his agency if he refuses assigned shifts, and identical fines if he fails to hit his required daily delivery quota.
The vast majority of delivery platform riders in the region earn a combination of a low base salary plus a per-completed-delivery fee, creating a clear financial incentive for workers to take as many orders as they possibly can. Even Uber Eats, which does not currently operate in the UAE, follows the widespread regional pay model that compensates drivers for every pickup and dropoff, plus a per-mile travel rate and 100% of customer tips, with many urban markets also adding a per-minute wait time rate. That pay structure means opting out of shifts or rejecting an order hits workers’ take-home earnings immediately. The anonymous Deliveroo rider added he has not received any targeted safety guidance or crisis-specific advice from either his logistics contractor or Deliveroo’s core team addressing the ongoing missile and drone strike risks. In response, a Deliveroo spokesperson shared a written statement noting the company maintains regular check-ins with all its rider fleet, and has repeatedly reminded workers to follow official government public safety guidance, and to prioritize their personal wellbeing at all times, including logging out of the app immediately if they feel unsafe to continue riding. The spokesperson also confirmed Deliveroo has compensated, and will continue to compensate, all riders for any lost earnings during periods when operations are voluntarily suspended for safety reasons.
Advocates for keeping delivery services running point out that the platforms serve a critical public function, delivering groceries, prescription medication and other essential supplies to residents who are sheltering in place at home. Careem reported a sharp spike in demand for pantry staple items in recent days, including bottled water, rice, pasta, and fresh produce. The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) classifies delivery riders as formal essential workers, noting the group plays a make-or-break role in ensuring communities retain reliable access to food, medicine and other daily necessities, particularly during active crisis situations. This classification was widely standardized during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, when mass social distancing rules and mandatory quarantines made e-commerce a non-negotiable public service, and logistics and delivery drivers were formally added to global essential worker rosters. At the height of the pandemic, national governments across the world published official lists of critical services permitted to remain operational, with the ILO noting that “nearly all countries included roles that protected access to food, water, electricity, sanitation and healthcare, as well as roles that maintained public order.” Over time, the ILO added, adjacent roles that supported those critical services, including app-based delivery riders, were also added to the essential worker classification.
While the “essential worker” label entered mainstream public consciousness during the 2020 pandemic, the underlying concept stretches back centuries: during medieval European Black Plague outbreaks, roles including gravediggers and food distributors were formally classified as non-suspendable essential roles, while during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, rice farming and food distribution work was prioritized across entire regions to prevent mass famine. In 21st century conflict contexts, however, the definition of “essential” carries a sharp, uneven cost: keeping these delivery services running helps preserve a sense of normalcy, prevents widespread panic buying and empty supermarket shelves, but almost all of the associated physical risk falls on the region’s large low-wage migrant worker population that makes up the vast majority of delivery rider fleets.
Additional reporting for this piece was contributed by Dana Alomar. This story was updated on March 5 to include the full formal statement issued by Deliveroo, and was originally published by WIRED Middle East.
Drivers at Risk
