Yango Ride funds Umrah trips for seven UAE partner drivers
Seven partner drivers based in the UAE performed Umrah in September 2026 with their trips paid for through Yango Ride's Driver's Dream Project. The group included two men making the pilgrimage for the first time and another whose children's education had taken priority over traveling from the UAE.
Omar Al Nuaimi
Drivers describe the journey
For Abdul Rauf Butt, a 58-year-old Pakistani who has spent 20 years living and working in the UAE, the trip fulfilled a wish he had held since childhood. He had previously performed Umrah while living in Pakistan, but had not been able to travel for it from the UAE.
"Being a Muslim, it was always my dream since childhood to go on Umrah," Butt said. "I could not go from here before because I was working hard to support my children's education." He described the pilgrimage as a relief from his demanding daily life. He now hopes to see his children finish their education and settle into their lives.
Muhammad Usman, 24, and Khyam, 42, both performed Umrah for the first time. Usman had wanted to make the journey since moving to the UAE, but work and the effort to establish his career had left him unable to plan it. "This was my first Umrah," he said. "The feeling of being there in Allah's home was priceless. I feel very calm after coming back." He hopes to go again and further establish his working life in the UAE.
Khyam's wish to perform Umrah dated to his youth, when he came to understand its significance. Financial responsibilities toward his family in Pakistan had prevented him from going earlier. "I'm feeling amazing and very happy because it was my dream. Being there was such a different feeling," he said. Building a home in Pakistan remains another long-held goal.
Tuition support and personal goals
Beyond the pilgrimage trips, the Driver's Dream Project paid a full academic year's tuition for two drivers' children and supplied their families with school materials and gifts. Islam Abdul Karim, regional head of Yango Group Middle East, said the project aims to support drivers while recognizing the families behind their work.
The driver app's "My Dreams" feature gives drivers a way to submit their wishes. Passengers can learn about those goals and contribute tips through the app.
Yango's March 24, 2025, announcement of its Ramadan initiatives described "My Dreams" as part of its driver dream program. The company said tips could help drivers pursue goals ranging from purchasing a home to paying medical bills or improving their living conditions.
Other UAE driver initiatives
Yango Ride also launched "Voices From Home" earlier in 2026, bringing drivers recorded messages from loved ones during the workday. In a September 27 interview with Gulf Today, Abdul Karim included that campaign and the dream project among the company's UAE driver-support efforts, alongside Ramadan Iftar distribution, driver engagement and reward initiatives, and insurance support programs.
In the same interview, Abdul Karim said approximately 30,000 drivers actively used Yango Ride's service as of September 2026. He said the company worked through licensed fleet partners with about 20,000 vehicles across the UAE, including both limousines and city taxis.
