Uber appoints new Regional General Manager for the Middle East and Africa region

[Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, gulftech ]: Uber today announced the appointment of Frans Hiemstra as the new Regional General Manager across the Middle East and Africa. Frans will lead the next phase of growth for Uber’s ride-sharing business across the region, spanning across 15 countries, overseeing the end-to-end business.

Based in Dubai, Frans’ role will focus on working closely with in-market teams to help identify areas of growth, lay down regional priorities, and drive operational excellence to fuel the Uber business. 

Frans has been with Uber since September 2015 and has taken on various roles over the years, making him a true Uber veteran and an expert in the ridesharing industry. His most recent role was as Uber’s General Manager of the Sub-Saharan Africa region, where he was responsible for the development and sustainable growth of the business in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Uganda, and Tanzania. As GM of SSA, Frans successfully navigated the business through the pandemic, accelerating growth and recovery since. 

Prior to that, Frans took on the roles of Operations and Logistics Manager, Head of Expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa, Country Manager for South Africa, and has led Driver Operations in Sub-Saharan Africa for almost two years, spearheading driver engagement and creating new earning opportunities for them. 

Commenting on his new appointment, Frans said: “We’ve made impressive strides over the last few years, and I’m honored to be tasked with leading the Middle East & Africa region as we focus our efforts on growing our shared mobility business, committing to our sustainability goals, and creating more earnings opportunities for drivers and couriers who use the Uber app. I’m looking forward to progressing the great work that’s already happening and excited to advance Uber’s business across the region to ensure that people have better access to affordable and sustainable travel via Uber’s technology & products.”

Prior to joining Uber, Frans worked as a Management Consultant in the Energy & Resources, Manufacturing, Distribution and African Economic Development sectors. Frans is a Deloitte Alumni, a Chartered Accountant, and studied at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa.