CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court has ordered the suspension of a ruling to revoke the licenses of the country's ride-hailing services, Uber and Careem.

Saturday's decision by the Cairo Court of Urgent Matters allows the two companies to operate until a higher court rules on an appeal against the ban.

In March, an Egyptian court deemed it illegal to use private vehicles for taxi services and ordered Uber and Careem's apps to be blocked.

They have since continued operating nonetheless. Parliament is currently discussing a bill to legalize their work.

Taxi drivers have long complained that both companies enjoy unfair advantages as they neither pay the same taxes nor follow comparable licensing procedures.

Uber was founded in 2010 in San Francisco while its competitor Careem was founded in 2012 in Dubai.