Uber, rival Careem suspend services in UAE capital Abu Dhabi

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Ride-hailing service Uber and competitor Careem have unexpectedly suspended services in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi.

San Francisco-based Uber said Sunday the move was temporary and that its “goal is to resume operations as soon as possible.” It declined to say what prompted the suspension.

The state-backed daily The National reported that rival car service Careem also halted services in the capital starting Saturday afternoon.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Careem said the suspension came after some of its cars were stopped by authorities.

“Until we have further clarification on the situation, Careem has decided to temporarily limit services in Abu Dhabi to avoid any inconvenience this may cause,” the company said. It did not elaborate.

Officials at the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport could not be reached for comment.

The companies’ operations in the Emirates’ largest city of Dubai, which has a different transport regulator, were unaffected by the suspension.