Hala – UAE’s homegrown on-demand, e-hailing taxi brand, which is positioned as affordable and available – has implemented a comprehensive brand refresh.
In a little more than six years, Hala has grown from a promising joint venture between the RTA and Careem into Dubai’s leading e-hailing service – one that millions rely on every day.
In an exclusive conversation with Campaign Middle East, Khaled Nuseibeh, CEO, Hala, said, “Our identity needed to evolve to match the role we now play in people’s lives: a trusted, homegrown brand that embodies Dubai’s ambition, resilience, and pace.”
Early bird tickets to the Campaign Saudi Briefing: Media and Marketing are now on sale. Get yours now for access to conversations with key stakeholders across governmental entities, brands and agencies in Saudi Arabia.
He added, “This refresh signals confidence and maturity, but it also reinforces what has made us successful from the beginning: reliability, convenience, and a deep commitment to customer experience. For the industry, it’s a statement that Hala is not only here to stay, but is setting a benchmark for service-driven mobility brands in the region.”
“At its heart, Hala is about serving everyday people with everyday needs. The new identity strengthens that commitment, a promise to keep the city moving, reliably, both in their journeys and in their lives.”
Short-term and mid-term objectives of the refreshed Hala brand
In the short term, the refresh intends to highlight the credibility and growth Hala has already achieved.
“The look and feel now match the reality of what Hala represents, which is a service that has become embedded in Dubai’s everyday journeys,” Nuseibeh said.
In the mid-term, it reflects the brand’s aim to lead the next phase of customer experience in regional mobility.
He added, “It clearly signals our dedication to investing in technology and innovation while remaining deeply connected to the local community. Hala isn’t just keeping up with Dubai’s transformation; we’re helping define and shape the very future of mobility in the city.”
The refreshed brand also intends to reflects Dubai’s incredible diversity. The city is home to several nationalities and backgrounds, and Hala’s new identity acknowledges that richness, while celebrating the pride that its riders feel in choosing a truly homegrown service.
“Hala isn’t just another mobility brand; it understands the city’s rhythm, its pace and the realities of daily life here,” Nuseibeh told Campaign Middle East. “We value feedback from our customers, who continue to seek simplicity, credibility, and relatability and the refreshed identity delivers exactly that. Designed with those expectations at its core, it is intuitive and customer-first, built around the everyday lives of Dubai’s residents and visitors, and as seamless as the journeys we provide.”
He added, “Hala has become a defining part of what ‘service’ means in Dubai, fundamental to the city’s identity. At its heart, Hala is about serving everyday people with everyday needs. The new identity strengthens that commitment, a promise to keep the city moving, reliably, both in their journeys and in their lives.”
“The consistency across both external and internal touchpoints reinforces that this is more than a visual refresh; it is a cultural shift and an internal belief lived consistently by everyone who represents Hala.”
Creative rollout of the Hala brand refresh and ‘The Everyday is Everything’ campaign
The creative expression of the refreshed Hala brand is anchored in its new brand idea, ‘The Everyday is Everything.’
It aims to celebrates the small, but powerful moments that define life in Dubai: a morning commute, an airport run, a family trip and the role Hala plays in enabling these.
“Visually, this comes through in cinematic, but authentic storytelling, paired with a modern design language that feels both aspirational and accessible. The campaign positions Hala not just as a transport provider, but as part of the everyday fabric of the city,” Nuseibeh said.
The brand refresh is being introduced through a 360-degree campaign that spans outdoor, CRM, influencers, in-car digital screens and PR.
At the heart of the campaign is a film that tells the story through the eyes of a Hala Captain, the very people who navigate the city daily and get to witness its most authentic moments.
The film captures a day in the life of a Captain, showcasing their dedication to service and the unique way they experience the heartbeat of the city through hundreds of daily interactions.
He added, “We’ve taken a holistic approach to the rollout. Externally, the new identity is visible everywhere our customers engage with Hala, across our fleet, the Careem app, website, digital channels, outdoor signage, and in-car experiences. We’ve also amplified it through social media and influencer activations to reach audiences where they spend most of their time.”
Internally, the brand has also extended the refresh into its offices, training and employee tools, ensuring that the new brand isn’t just a change in visuals, but something its people live and embody every day.
“The consistency across both external and internal touchpoints reinforces that this is more than a visual refresh; it is a cultural shift and an internal belief lived consistently by everyone who represents Hala,” Nuseibeh explained.
“The result is an identity that feels authentic, future-ready, and supported across every part of our ecosystem.”
The people behind the process
The brand refresh was anchored by the brand’s in-house teams, who set the strategic direction and defined the creative vision.
Hala partnered with London- and LA-based branding agency How & How, who steered the core identity work, while Dubai’s homegrown production agency DreamBox brought the campaign’s visuals to life across multiple channels.
“We also used freelancers who added their specialist skills along the way, ensuring every detail, big and small, remained true to our brand and to what our customers expect. It’s the perfect mix: global vision from How & How, paired with homegrown brilliance from Dreambox, a blend that makes the brand refresh truly unique,”
The process reflects not only the pride Hala takes in being a homegrown brand, but also the care its place in safeguarding and evolving its identity.
“The refresh has been the result of an eight-month journey shaped closely by the brand’s teams and partners. From the very beginning, its stakeholders were involved at every stage, through onboarding sessions, workshops, and immersion programmes, to ensure the refreshed identity was grounded in real business shifts, not just design changes,” Nuseibeh said.
He added, “Internally, this process created a sense of ownership and pride, with employees actively contributing to how the brand would be lived day to day. Externally, we built confidence through phased rollouts and consistent storytelling, allowing partners and customers alike to see the refresh as a natural evolution of Hala’s growth. The result is an identity that feels authentic, future-ready, and supported across every part of our ecosystem.”
“As Dubai’s only truly homegrown e-hailing brand in partnership with the RTA and Careem, we are proud to be part of the city’s fabric. The refreshed identity celebrates the people who make Dubai what it is, their everyday resilience, ambitions, and dreams.”
Metrics of success for the Hala brand refresh
Hala will be looking at both quantitative and qualitative metrics, including engagement, app downloads, PR reach, campaign performance, and customer sentiment captured through surveys and feedback.
Internally, Hala will also be tracking how its employees bring the new identity to life ensuring that the brand is being carried consistently at every touchpoint.
“These numbers are useful in the short-term, but for the brand work to really have impact, it’s about regular, long-term check-ins, and that’s something we’re committed to at Hala,” Nuseibeh said.
All in all, the reimagination of the Hala brand is not just about a new look, it’s about defining the next chapter of Hala’s story.
“As Dubai’s only truly homegrown e-hailing brand in partnership with the RTA and Careem, we are proud to be part of the city’s fabric. The refreshed identity celebrates the people who make Dubai what it is, their everyday resilience, ambitions, and dreams,” Nuseibeh added.
He concluded, “Our success so far has only been possible because customers welcomed us into their lives. We hope they will now feel even closer to Hala, because ultimately, their everyday is everything, and we are here to keep it moving.”
CREDITS:
Client: Hala
Brand refresh, strategic direction, creative vision: Hala in-house team
Branding agency: London- and LA-based How & How
Dubai’s homegrown production agency: DreamBox
