Contributor

Zuha Siddiqui

Zuha Siddiqui is freelance reporter and former Labor x Tech Reporting Fellow at Rest of World based in Karachi, Pakistan. Her reporting focuses on climate, technology and human rights, and her work has appeared in Foreign Policy, Slate, BuzzFeed News, and VICE. She holds a master’s degree in journalism & near eastern studies from New York University.

A woman in a patterned outfit laughs while standing next to a van with "BusCaro" branding, as another woman in traditional attire enters the vehicle. The scene is set in a parking area with a few other vehicles in the background.

Innovation 16 December 2024

Pakistan’s mass transit is failing. BusCaro thinks it has the solution

After the failure of Airlift and Swvl, this startup is stepping in to provide an alternative to Pakistan’s unreliable public transport system.

A photograph showing a person's hands holding a mobile phone with the Careem ride-hailing app opened.

Regional Champions 4 June 2024

How Careem went from Pakistan’s ride-hailing leader to stuck on the sidelines

After falling from dominance, Careem is experimenting — from corporate rides to price bidding — to maintain its presence in Pakistan.

Driver Basharat Buraak driving his car in Lahore, photographed from the passenger seat of his vehicle.

The Graying Gig Workers 20 May 2024

Aches, pains, and no health insurance for aging gig workers

Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in the world, which means older gig workers are seldom the focus of platform policies.

Basharat Buraak, who works as a driver for various ride-hailing apps including Careem and In-Drive checks his car and fills water in the radiator.

The Graying Gig Workers 20 May 2024

Forget retirement. Older people are turning to gig work to survive

Rest of World spoke to 50 older workers around the world who see gig work as a lifeline — or a last resort.

A photo collage of four women, spliced side by side.

Labor 20 May 2024

What we learned in a year of reporting on labor and technology

Rest of World’s four Labor x Tech fellows reflect on their year reporting about the global tech industry’s impact on its workers.

A photograph showing an abandoned, large office structure.

Access & Connectivity 18 April 2024

Bangladesh built a tech park for 100,000 workers. Now it’s a ghost town

The facility was partly funded by the World Bank and touted to become the country’s “cyber capital.”

Gig workers gather under a tree in lekki, a popular resting point in the area.

In Frame 19 March 2024

Portraits of gig workers in rare moments off the clock

Rest of World shadowed workers in São Paulo, Lagos, Dhaka, and Jakarta to get an intimate look at how they spend their breaks between orders.

A food delivery app driver, watches a movie while sitting on the street during his break.

Labor 19 March 2024

Catching a break: How gig workers find rest

Rest of World asked over 100 gig workers across 10 cities how they take a break between tasks.

A blue three-wheeler with PickMe branding parked by the side of a busy road in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Regional Champions 6 March 2024

This cab startup helped 100,000 drivers survive Sri Lanka’s economic crisis

Sri Lanka’s economy had been in free fall, so PickMe set out to help local communities and provide dignified work. It paid off.

A photo of a man sitting on a motorbike on a busy street in Lahore, Pakistan.

Features 27 February 2024

Riders in the smog

Rest of World equipped gig riders across South Asia with pollution monitors. The readings were off the charts.

Workers in a Pakistani office using their laptops.

China Outside China 15 February 2024

They wanted careers in tech. They’re stuck as TikTok moderators

Content moderator roles are stigmatized within the tech industry, leaving qualified Pakistani workers “stuck” with no way out.

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar charge an electric car during the inauguration ceremony of the Pakistan's first electric vehicle charging station in Islamabad.

EV Revolution 29 January 2024

Pakistan’s aggressive EV goals hit a roadblock: An engineer shortage

Pakistan wants 30% of all new vehicles sold to be electric by 2030. But there is a glaring lack of expertise in the country.