(MENAFN) US-based ride-hailing giant Uber has announced plans to establish a new global technology hub in Istanbul, marking its fourth center outside the United States after Brazil, India, and the Netherlands.

The announcement took place during the “Uber Türkiye Global Technology Development and Software Center Launch Event” at Istanbul’s Esma Sultan Mansion, attended by Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir, President of the Presidential Investment and Finance Office Ahmet Burak Daglioglu, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, and Chief Technology Officer Praveen Neppalli Naga.

Following the opening remarks, Uber and the Presidential Investment and Finance Office signed a memorandum of understanding to support the company’s investment activities in Türkiye. The Istanbul hub is expected to play a strategic role in Uber’s global software development network, with the company planning to invest more than $200 million in the center over the next five years.

In his keynote, CEO Khosrowshahi praised Istanbul as “one of the most extraordinary cities in the world — a place of energy, creativity, and connection.” Reflecting on Uber’s decade-long presence in Türkiye, he said, “Our mission was very simple: to make it easier for people to move around in their cities. But what began as a mobility solution quickly became something much bigger — a story of progress, a partnership of transformation.”

Khosrowshahi highlighted that 95% of taxis in Istanbul now use the Uber app and that the company is approaching its 100 millionth ride in Türkiye, positioning the country as a global benchmark in digital taxi adoption. He also noted Uber’s recent investment in Trendyol Go, describing it as a strategic move to boost growth in Türkiye’s delivery and mobility sectors.

MENAFN01112025000045017281ID1110279618