The great thing about being in Dubai is that you don’t have to be a royal to feel like royalty. Just being a high-net-worth individual is enough and you will have the world at your feet. To allow millionaires to stay off their feet and in the lap of luxury, a new chauffeur-for-hire service has launched in Dubai and it’s called Wheely. The Swiss-born transportation is touted to be equivalent to Emirates First Class and aims to transport millionaires with member-only service. With three new exclusive services such as New Business Class, New First Class and XL, it will be a cakewalk to compete with the legendary Emirates First Class that is renowned for unmatched service, luxurious ambiance, and top-class quality. Wheely’s Dubai expansion will foster employment, creating 1,000 jobs in the region after establishing itself in Paris, Moscow, and London.
“In the past few years, a lot of European high-net-worth individuals moved to Dubai and many Middle Eastern residents have experienced our services in London and Paris. Dubai also became the most requested destination by our customers,” Anton Chirkunov, Co-Founder, and CEO of Wheely said in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business. “There is a lot of opportunity with the city’s almost 70k millionaires,” he added.
We are particularly intrigued by the new First Class, member-only service, which features a W223 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Not only a fancy car, but a fancy milieu awaits guests. Inside, the mesmerizing scents of Acqua di Parma car diffusers keep the ambiance fresh, while soft Oshibori towels help re-energize on a hectic day. To soothe your throat while tending to demanding urgent businesses, there are bottles of Fiji water.
Interestingly, Wheely turns this from just a ride in a luxe space to one that will be remembered owing to its highly personalized nature. From customizing the choice of music, interior lighting, massage seats, entertainment systems, and more, this is an instant pick-me-up for those traveling away from home or simply missing being inside their own abodes. All good things come at a price and the premium service is available at a cost of $27 pickup fare, a minimum fare of $40, and $1.5 per minute. Parking and toll fees come at an extra charge to the client.
“We stick to one make and model per product – we do not say “Mercedes S Class or similar” and an Audi arrives,” Chirkunov explained, hinting at other transportation business models, “New First Class features the latest generation of the Mercedes S-Class, with a long wheelbase, reclining seats, sunroof, and privacy blinds.” Wheely’s dedication to customer satisfaction is commendable as for the above-mentioned task the company commissioned over 90 percent of the new generation Mercedes S class, licensed in Dubai, for Wheely specifically.
“As the first on-demand luxury chauffeur service of its kind, one way to think of WHEELY is akin to having a private chauffeur. Our chauffeurs go beyond simply transporting passengers from A to B, to deliver an experience. Customers can trust WHEELY chauffeurs with more than just transportation, including personal journeys such as picking up relatives or school drop-offs,” he asserted.
For most high-net-worth individuals, privacy is more precious than comfort and Wheely not only understands that but fulfills the demand by equipping their vehicles with privacy blinds. In addition, the Wheely team is under strict NDA, which also includes chauffeur partners. The chauffeurs are trained at the London Academy known to deliver highly skilled chauffeurs who provide the same service and etiquette as expected from a 5-star hotel.
