https://www.scmp.com/rss/522208/feed The latest news and top stories on Grab. A leading entity in the technology sector, Singapore-based Grab Holdings Inc. specialises in ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery and digital payment services. It primarily serves a diverse target market across Southeast Asia, including office workers, business professionals and various income levels. Grab is known for being Southeast Asia’s first decacorn and the region’s largest technology startup, having expanded significantly since its founding in... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jean Iau Jean Iau In a quiet street in northern Singapore, a car plies the road like any other – except it is a left-hand drive from China and the person in the driver’s seat has been trained to keep his hands off the wheel and his foot off the pedals unless an emergency arises. Eventually, there will be no need for a safety officer or any human behind the wheel at all – mirroring the autonomous vehicles (AVs) already operating in cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, San Francisco and Los Angeles. For now, Singapore... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349672/singapores-robotaxi-drive-revs-help-chinese-av-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349672/singapores-robotaxi-drive-revs-help-chinese-av-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese self-driving technology developers continue to expand outside the mainland as WeRide seeks to launch robotaxi services this year in Hong Kong and Singapore, according to an executive. WeRide’s planned entry into Hong Kong was set to cover both robotaxis and robobuses, said senior director of public relations and marketing Maeve Zhang in a media briefing on Tuesday, without disclosing the operation areas or a launch date. Meanwhile, the Guangzhou-based company said it planned to launch... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347747/chinas-weride-eyes-hong-kong-singapore-roads-robotaxis-self-driving-giants-expand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347747/chinas-weride-eyes-hong-kong-singapore-roads-robotaxis-self-driving-giants-expand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:15:08 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Daniel Gech looks at prices on a board at a Sokimex petrol station in Phnom Penh and winces. Four weeks into the war in the Middle East, the ripple effects of a faraway conflict are beginning to threaten the Cambodian teenager’s ability to earn and learn. The 16-year-old uses his moped to travel between his home and school, and for his work in the evening. It now costs him an extra US$2 a day to fill up his tank – or US$14 a week – and the price is rising, a significant surge in a country where... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347608/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-vulnerable-fuel-crisis-iran-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347608/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-vulnerable-fuel-crisis-iran-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:14:21 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow WeRide, one of China’s big three robotaxi companies, has cut research and development (R&D) costs by “millions” of US dollars by using artificial intelligence to train its fleet in virtual worlds, its CEO said. While rivals had also developed AI models simulating the physical world, WeRide’s efforts stood out as it was using its world model Genesis to support its global expansion strategy, said Tony Han. “It’s the first real marriage between physical AI and generative AI,” Han told the South... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344817/breakthrough-or-hype-how-weride-aims-steer-past-rivals-crowded-robotaxi-field?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344817/breakthrough-or-hype-how-weride-aims-steer-past-rivals-crowded-robotaxi-field?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:00:38 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, sales director Sabir Ansari relied on Deliveroo almost daily for burgers and pasta delivered to his door in Singapore. Over time, the 31-year-old said, it became harder to justify the service’s costs as rival platforms such as Grab and Foodpanda offered more food options and aggressive promotions that made “delivery fees way cheaper”. “It was a no-brainer,” he said. For Deliveroo, that kind of calculation among consumers became increasingly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344705/what-deliveroos-singapore-exit-says-about-citys-food-delivery-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344705/what-deliveroos-singapore-exit-says-about-citys-food-delivery-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:51:13 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele As the clock strikes 8am in Penang, Syamil Azizi slips into his daily grind: picking up passengers across the island in his little Perodua runabout. At noon, he pauses just long enough to pick up his two daughters from school before returning to the road, often until well past sundown. Weekends offer no reprieve. Then, the 33-year-old swaps his helmet for a chef’s hat, working weddings and school functions as part of a seven-day grind that keeps his family afloat but offers little security... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334557/malaysias-millions-gig-workers-promised-safety-net-critics-see-holes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334557/malaysias-millions-gig-workers-promised-safety-net-critics-see-holes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Uber has urged the Hong Kong government to adopt a “flexible” quota regime that will allow more drivers to work for ride-hailing platforms if service quality indicators, such as waiting times, are not met. Nicole Lee Tsz-yu, Uber Hong Kong’s head of public policy and government affairs, said on Friday that the government should consider a quota system that would allow for more drivers to be licensed in accordance with market demand to avoid residents having to wait longer or pay more for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3332878/uber-urges-hong-kong-adopt-flexible-driver-quota-based-service-metrics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3332878/uber-urges-hong-kong-adopt-flexible-driver-quota-based-service-metrics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 13:50:59 +0000 Kun Tian Kun Tian The way people eat, make nutritional decisions and monitor health is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation in Asia. Artificial intelligence (AI), wearables and online applications are reshaping the food landscape, embedding personalised nutrition services into daily life. From WeChat’s nutrition-tracking mini-programmes to Grab’s food delivery algorithms helping users discover healthier options, digital platforms are becoming sophisticated intelligent systems that help advance... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3325488/ai-enhanced-nutrition-must-enhance-our-agency-not-undermine-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3325488/ai-enhanced-nutrition-must-enhance-our-agency-not-undermine-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Raden Igun Wicaksono has a warning for Indonesia’s leaders: the fight is just getting started. The chairman of one of the country’s largest motorcycle taxi associations has promised “greater and greater escalation”, warning that millions of drivers are ready to ignite what he calls the ojol revolution, “ojol” being a shorthand for motorcycle taxi drivers booked through apps like Gojek or Grab. Just weeks ago, Wicaksono and his fellow workers joined students and labourers and helped force... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3325659/indonesias-gig-drivers-threaten-ignite-ojol-revolution-inequality-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3325659/indonesias-gig-drivers-threaten-ignite-ojol-revolution-inequality-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 02:50:36 +0000 Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho It began with a few Malaysians buying meals on Grab for strangers across the Java Sea. Within days, thousands were taking part, from Manila to Bangkok, sending food to Indonesian delivery riders caught in the turmoil of mass protest. Struggling food delivery riders, emblematic of Indonesia’s urban underclass, have become the focus of sympathy, solidarity and support from across Southeast Asia. Starting last week, thousands of social media users from around the region began ordering meals via the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324146/grab-movement-southeast-asia-sends-indonesias-protesters-food-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324146/grab-movement-southeast-asia-sends-indonesias-protesters-food-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 06:00:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Protests erupted in multiple cities and tensions soared across Indonesia on Friday, a day after a delivery rider was allegedly run over by a police armoured vehicle during clashes between riot police and students protesting against lawmakers’ allowances. Protesters marched to the headquarters of the police mobile brigade in the capital Jakarta on Friday, and some attempted to storm the compound. Police used water cannons and fired rounds of tear gas to push back the demonstrators, who hurled... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323612/prabowo-seeks-calm-indonesia-protests-escalate-after-man-killed-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323612/prabowo-seeks-calm-indonesia-protests-escalate-after-man-killed-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 06:36:59 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Grab halts Mandarin driver trial in Malaysia after backlash, government warning 2. Malaysia orders Zara’s body to be exhumed amid protests over student’s death 3. India and Australia unite to challenge China’s rare earth reign 4. Did US missiles in Philippines trigger... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3321522/grab-halts-mandarin-driver-trial-malaysia-orders-zaras-exhumation-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3321522/grab-halts-mandarin-driver-trial-malaysia-orders-zaras-exhumation-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 04:30:16 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s transport regulator has warned e-hailing companies against discriminatory practices after Grab, the country’s largest ride-hailing service, started charging a premium on customers requesting Mandarin-speaking drivers. The controversy erupted earlier this week when a screenshot went viral on social media, showing that the cost to book a ride with a Mandarin-speaking driver was up to 50 per cent higher than for similar rides without the language requirement. It provoked outrage in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3321181/grab-halts-mandarin-driver-trial-malaysia-after-backlash-government-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3321181/grab-halts-mandarin-driver-trial-malaysia-after-backlash-government-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Vietnam will ban fossil-fuel motorcycles and mopeds in the heart of the capital, Hanoi, starting next July, as part of a nationwide effort to curb air pollution, state media reported. The directive issued by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh applies to the area inside and along the main ring road that encircles the centre of Hanoi. The local government has been tasked with phasing out the two-wheelers by the deadline. Like the rest of Vietnam, motorcycles are the main mode of transport... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318213/vietnam-ban-fossil-fuel-motorcycles-hanoi-combat-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318213/vietnam-ban-fossil-fuel-motorcycles-hanoi-combat-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 01:27:54 +0000