Uber appeals Singapore ruling on Grab deal, opens new APAC HQ

Uber has unveiled its new Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore – a market it exited early last year after selling its Southeast Asia business to erstwhile rival Grab.

The US ride-hailing giant has also appealed against the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s (CCCS) ruling that the merger with Grab was anti-competitive.

The front desk at Uber’s new Asia-Pacific headquarters in downtown Singapore. / Photo credit: Uber

The S$6.58 million (US$4.85 million) antitrust fine levied against the company has been suspended pending its appeal, which will be heard by the Competition Appeal Board during the second half of this year, The Straits Times reported quoting a CCCS spokesperson.

At the opening of its new headquarters today, Uber said it has no plans to relaunch any of its services in the region, and will instead manage its East Asia, South Asia, and Australasia operations out of the hub.

Regionally, Uber continues to offer ride-hailing and on-demand food delivery in 102 cities across Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan.

The company said due diligence had shown that Singapore continued to be the optimal location for its regional hub, despite it having withdrawn its consumer-facing services from the city-state.

Uber has maintained an office in Singapore since the completion of the Grab deal. According to the company, the majority of its 165 employees in the city remained with it after the merger.

It indicated it’ll be hiring more talent in Singapore as it prepares for the launch of new business verticals in its extant Asia-Pacific markets.

Currency converted from Singapore dollars. Rate: US$1 = S$1.36