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HMD Skyline 5G brings new era of European innovation to KSA

Updated 20 October 2024

Arab News

October 20, 2024 22:21

Human Mobile Devices, a European smartphone manufacturer and makers of Nokia phones, has announced the launch of its HMD Skyline 5G mobile phone in Saudi Arabia. The device is now available in stores, offering consumers an innovative smartphone experience.

Previously going by the acronym HMD, the company rebranded as Human Mobile Devices at the beginning of 2024. Alongside this transformation, they unveiled a new partnership strategy, collaborating with a lineup of global lifestyle brands to launch a collection of bespoke phones. Human Mobile Devices is also committed to enhancing its market-leading initiatives in self-repairability, and digital detox tech, further solidifying its innovative approach.

Affirming its new ambitious global marketing strategy, HMD recently announced a landmark agreement with FC Barcelona, becoming the club’s official mobile phone partner. This strategic partnership will strengthen HMD’s presence in the global market, while aligning with one of the world’s most iconic football clubs.

Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, vice president of HMD in the AMEA region, said: “We are excited about the launch of the HMD Skyline, a device we believe will redefine the mobile market in Saudi Arabia. Designed with Gen Z in mind, the HMD Skyline combines cutting-edge technology, sustainable design and easy repairability — making it the perfect choice for young tech-savvy consumers.”

HMD Skyline is equipped with a 108 MP main camera with OIS, a 50 MP telephoto and 13 MP ultrawide lens. It captures breathtaking night shots, vibrant colors, and crisp 4X zoom — all while keeping your wallet happy. Whether you are shooting in low light or zooming in for detailed closeups, HMD Skyline ensures your photos stand out in any setting. Tailored for content creators, its camera capabilities are perfect for photographers looking to impress.

The 50 MP AI selfie camera is perfect for effortless vlogging, live streaming, snapping and social media content creation. It comes with autofocus and eye-tracking to ensure the sharpest of selfies, and with Skyline, creators do not even need to press a button or set a timer to take a picture. The device comes with in-built “selfie gesture” tech, which means all users have to do is to look at the phone while making the universal peace sign (or one of three other hand signs) to activate the shot. You can also create video selfies in slow-mo and 4k.

This sleek smartphone is equipped with an innovative built-in detox mode, complete with customizations and contact blocking features. Users can tailor their detox experience, allowing them to focus on the real world and enjoy a balanced smartphone experience whenever they need a break from the digital noise.

Majid Al-Futtaim expands luxury retail footprint in region

Updated 12 April 2025

Arab News

April 12, 2025 21:32

Majid Al-Futtaim expands luxury retail footprint in region

Updated 12 April 2025

Arab News

April 12, 2025 21:32

Majid Al-Futtaim has announced an ambitious expansion of its luxury retail portfolio for 2025. Following a record-breaking 2024, which saw a 26 percent growth in its lifestyle business, the expansion will be anchored by renowned Italian brands Eleventy, Corneliani, and Poltrona Frau, with a series of store openings planned across key locations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

As part of its strategic growth agenda, Majid Al-Futtaim will launch more than 30 new stores, spanning both luxury and high- street brands across the region. The expansion will include five standalone Eleventy stores, the regional debut of Corneliani, and the first Poltrona Frau store outside the UAE in Saudi Arabia.

Fahed Ghanim, CEO of Majid Al-Futtaim Lifestyle, said: “In a region where customers have an abundance of choice, our ambition is to curate a portfolio of luxury brands that offer something truly distinctive. By introducing brands like Eleventy, Corneliani, and Poltrona Frau, we are bringing new dimensions to the luxury market — combining timeless craftsmanship with modern sensibilities that resonate with the refined tastes of our customers.”

He added: “At Majid Al-Futtaim, our work with luxury brands has been deeply rooted in THAT Concept Store, which has been instrumental in identifying and nurturing brands with the potential to thrive in this market. Eleventy’s journey, from its initial shop-in-shop to standalone stores, is a testament to how we test, scale, and grow global luxury brands. This strategic approach allows us to continuously evolve the luxury retail experience, delivering fresh, distinctive offerings that resonate with our customers.”

The five standalone Eleventy stores opening in key locations this year include Solitaire Mall in Saudi Arabia, Mall of the Emirates, Marsa Al-Arab, which all open this month, with Dubai Mall and The Grove in the UAE to follow later in the year. This growth builds on Eleventy’s successful presence in the region, which includes a shop-in-shop at THAT Concept Store, a pop-up at Mall of the Emirates, and its first standalone location in Marina Mall Abu Dhabi, which opened in November 2024.

Majid Al-Futtaim is further strengthening its partnership with Poltrona Frau, the iconic Italian luxury furniture brand, by introducing its first store in the region outside the UAE at Centria Mall, Riyadh, in May. Poltrona Frau achieved remarkable success in 2024, with its revenue increasing fivefold following the launch of its second UAE store at Mall of the Emirates

Italian luxury menswear brand Corneliani also made its regional store debut in April at Solitaire Mall in the Kingdom. Corneliani is one of Italy’s oldest independent luxury brands, renowned for its meticulous craftsmanship and presence in more than 70 countries.

Marco Baldassari, co-founder and menswear creative director at Eleventy, said: “Eleventy’s philosophy of understated elegance and commitment to sustainability resonates strongly with the sophisticated Middle Eastern consumer. We are excited to strengthen our partnership with Majid Al-Futtaim, whose visionary approach to luxury retail is shaping a new vision with a growing focus on customer needs. Together, we aim to redefine luxury retail by offering timeless craftsmanship, sustainable practices, and innovative experiences.”

Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau, said: “Since partnering with Majid Al-Futtaim more than two years ago, we have focused on strategic growth and elevating the customer experience across the region. The revitalization of our flagship store in Jumeirah and our successful debut at Mall of the Emirates have been key milestones in our journey. We are now excited to bring this momentum to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with our first store in Riyadh, further solidifying our presence in the GCC and expanding our reach in this dynamic market.”

Majid Al-Futtaim’s expansion in luxury retail builds on a record-breaking 2024, which saw a 26 percent increase in revenue across its portfolio and a 31 percent surge in digital sales. The year also marked the opening of 17 new stores across the region, bringing the total to 87 stores, including flagship locations for brands such as lululemon, Psycho Bunny, Shiseido, Crate and Barrel, and CB2, alongside 27 e-commerce platforms. Looking ahead, 2025 is set to be another milestone year for its lifestyle business, with plans to open 30 new stores across the region, including seven in Saudi Arabia — a key priority market for the group.

Kanoo Machinery powers Saudi Arabia’s F&B sector

Updated 12 April 2025

Arab News

April 12, 2025 21:31

Kanoo Machinery powers Saudi Arabia’s F&B sector

Updated 12 April 2025

Arab News

April 12, 2025 21:31

Kanoo Machinery, a provider of industrial and construction equipment in the GCC, is participating in SaudiFood Manufacturing 2025, a premier trade exhibition for the Kingdom’s food and beverage processing industry. Taking place between April 13 and 15, at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, the exhibition is returning for its second edition after a successful debut last year.

As Saudi Arabia advances its food security initiatives under Saudi Vision 2030, several significant developments are set to transform the Kingdom’s F&B sector — notably, the unveiling of the world’s largest food park in Jeddah, which aims to attract $5.3 billion in investments, creating approximately 43,000 jobs by 2035.

Ambitious projects such as these, underscore the Kingdom’s commitment to evolving into a global hub for food production and distribution. Kanoo Machinery is firmly positioned to support these transformative initiatives with its future-ready engine and power, material handling, compressors and warehousing solutions — critical for streamlining food production and logistics. From state-of-the-art refrigeration and storage systems to advanced lifting and packaging equipment, Kanoo Machinery provides core solutions required for F&B facilities, ensuring efficient operations and compliance with food safety regulations.

This year at SaudiFood Manufacturing, Kanoo Machinery will showcase its portfolio of specialized equipment alongside its key principals, including Combilift, Hyster, Snorkel, Perkins, and Kaishan focusing on innovation and collaboration within the F&B sector.

Ali Abdulla Kanoo, deputy chairman, Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo and president of Kanoo Industrial and Energy, said: “Kanoo Machinery has long supported Saudi Arabia’s industrial evolution with dependable, high-performance machinery. Our presence at SaudiFood Manufacturing 2025 reaffirms our dedication to empowering the F&B sector with reliable equipment solutions that drive efficiency and growth. This is where our legacy of engineering excellence meets the future needs of a growing industry.”

Fahad Kanoo, deputy chairman of Kanoo Industrial and Energy, added: “SaudiFood Manufacturing 2025 offers a powerful platform to engage with sector stakeholders and spotlight how industrial machinery is reshaping the future of food production in the region.”

At this year’s exhibition, Kanoo Machinery will showcase its capabilities to serve the sector with our portfolio of innovative solutions that bring tangible value and support Saudi Arabia’s food security goals.”

Manoj Tripathy, CEO of Kanoo Industrial and Energy, said: “Kanoo Machinery stands ready with world-class technologies, quality service, and Saudi-specific expertise to help businesses scale efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of productivity and industrial performance. Our participation highlights our strategic intent to be an end-to-end partner in operational success for food manufacturers across the Kingdom.”

With over 550 exhibitors from 70+ countries, the Saudi Food Manufacturing Exhibition 2025 will allow visitors to explore the latest advancements in industrial equipment shaping the food manufacturing sector.

inDrive gets license to operate in Saudi Arabia

Updated 10 April 2025

Arab News

April 10, 2025 22:45

inDrive gets license to operate in Saudi Arabia

Updated 10 April 2025

Arab News

April 10, 2025 22:45

Ride-hailing service provider charges zero percent service fee from drivers

inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, has obtained a license to operate ride-hailing services in Saudi Arabia.

The company has already started operations in Jeddah and is planning to launch in full operational capacity.

With offices in Riyadh and Jeddah, inDrive is considering expanding to other cities in the country this year.

Originally from Siberia, inDrive has quickly become one of the leading ride-hailing services in the MENA region and is ranked the second mobility app globally with 280+ million downloads.

Saudi Arabia will be the 49th country in which inDrive will operate.

Abdulrahman Basallum, inDrive country manager in the Kingdom, said: “The unique operational model of inDrive, where the driver and passenger determine the price, has been groundbreaking.

"This has allowed the company to challenge the dominance of large players who, taking advantage of their monopoly, charge exorbitant 25-40 percent commissions from drivers.

"The economy of Saudi Arabia is one of the central ones in the region, and thousands of people make daily trips, paying unclear fares, while drivers face huge service fees.

"We believe we have a great opportunity to provide residents and visitors of Saudi Arabia with excellent service at a fair price and with transparent conditions.”

The core idea of inDrive's business model is the freedom of choice.

Unlike traditional ride-hailing apps, inDrive users can choose not only the driver or passenger, based on ratings and reviews from previous riders, but also based on the price.

inDrive provides a unique bidding model, where both driver and passenger negotiate the price directly. The passenger proposes a price first, and the driver can accept, reject, or adjust the offer without penalties. As a result, the final price is considered the fairest, as agreed upon by both parties involved in the ride.

inDrive charges the lowest service fee in all markets of operation, which is two to three times less than most competitors, including large international companies that are able to set higher fees due to their strong market presence.

inDrive’s strategy has proven successful — fair prices and transparency in transactions — which plays a crucial role in the service’s popularity.

Word of mouth has become one of the primary tools for promoting the service, enabling inDrive to outpace many global companies supported by major investment funds in multiple markets.

According to the firm Sensor Tower, for a third year in a row, inDrive is the second-most downloaded mobility app in the world and is one of the leading travel apps in MENA (particularly number one in Morocco and Egypt).

The company also operates in Asia, Africa, and Latin America – 49 countries in total.

inDrive attracted investments for global funds such as Insight Partners, Bond Capital and General Catalyst.

In the latest investment valuation in 2021, the company was valued at $1.23 billion. Since then, the company’s revenue has increased several times.

The mission of inDrive is to challenge injustice, and the company's goal is to have a positive impact on the lives of more than 1 billion people by 2030.

In line with this mission and goal, inDrive is developing a range of social initiatives in the areas of education, sports, culture, ecology, and gender equality.

These initiatives are already actively developing in the MENA region, in Egypt and Morocco, and in Saudi Arabia, as it also plans to follow its strategy by reinvesting a portion of its income into community empowerment.

inDrive remains an international leader in its industry, and, operating worldwide, the company places a strong emphasis on user safety.

The company uses cutting-edge security technologies to verify drivers and to track rides, and prioritizes critical requests handled by its 24/7 customer support service.

SAB launches first off-balance sheet digital Islamic supply chain transaction in KSA

Updated 09 April 2025

Arab News

April 09, 2025 22:51

SAB launches first off-balance sheet digital Islamic supply chain transaction in KSA

Updated 09 April 2025

Arab News

April 09, 2025 22:51

Saudi Awwal Bank and United Pharmaceuticals, a retail pharmacy chain in the Kingdom, have successfully executed the first off-balance sheet end-to-end digital Islamic supply chain finance transaction in Saudi Arabia. A significant milestone in the realm of Islamic finance, this groundbreaking achievement enables automated discounted early payments for United Pharmaceuticals’ strategic suppliers.

Recently, SAB upgraded its supply chain platform to accommodate Islamic transactions by incorporating new Shariah-compliant features. This enabled United Pharmaceuticals to successfully upload their payment file and benefit from enhancements, including fully automated processes for recording and approval, and sales contract generation for Shariah compliance.

This leading-edge solution drastically cuts down the manual processing time from hours to minutes. It has brought significant advantages to United Pharmaceuticals, including improved efficiency and control in supplier invoice processing and payments, reduced client operational tasks and risks, stronger supplier relationships due to timely Shariah-compliant payments, optimized working capital management with extended payment terms through non-recourse early discounting based on the buyer’s creditworthiness, and improved pricing.

Yasser Al-Barrak, chief corporate and institutional banking officer at SAB, said: “We are thrilled to lead the way in providing innovative solutions that meet the needs of our clients while adhering to Islamic principles. This transaction showcases our commitment to enhancing the financial landscape in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.”

He added: “The integration of technology and Islamic finance represents a significant step forward in supporting businesses and fostering economic growth in the Kingdom.” Khaled Yassin, CEO of United Company, said: “We are proud to sign this agreement, which represents a strategic step in developing our financial operations and strengthening our relationships with our partners.”

This initiative will significantly contribute to improving our liquidity management, enabling us to achieve higher operational efficiency and support our expansion plans with greater flexibility and effectiveness.”

Dr. Mohamed Abdelwahab El-Mursi, CFO of United Company, added: “This agreement will provide innovative financial solutions that help reduce operational complexities and enhance efficiency in payment processes and working capital management. We are extremely pleased with this partnership with SAB, which reflects our commitment to financial innovation and delivering added value to our suppliers and customers.”

This Islamic platform enhancement underscores the importance of digitization and the immense potential of Islamic structured trade solutions in the Kingdom. SAB is dedicated to advancing its supply chain platform to deliver automated discounting solutions that serve both Islamic and conventional transactions effectively.

Ruder Finn Atteline unveils new brand identity

Updated 09 April 2025

Arab News

April 09, 2025 22:48

Ruder Finn Atteline unveils new brand identity

Updated 09 April 2025

Arab News

April 09, 2025 22:48

After nearly 10 years in the region, Ruder Finn Atteline, formerly Atteline, is strengthening its proposition as the MENA arm of Ruder Finn with local insight and global capabilities. With a fresh brand identity and newly designed logo combining Ruder Finn’s 75 years of global expertise alongside Atteline’s hallmark creativity and culture, the integrated communications agency is now gearing up to set a new pace for the decade ahead.

Aligning with its global “What’s Next” positioning — a commitment to always remaining one step ahead of industry trends and leading with a data-driven, digital-first, early-adopter mindset — Ruder Finn Atteline is now doubling down on enhancing client experiences and innovatively empowering employees.

As part of this vision, Ruder Finn Atteline is preparing to launch its Content Hub, a first-of-its-kind platform for the region to prioritize authentic storytelling in an era increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. This move aligns with the ongoing expansion of its Digital Division, ensuring that both verticals work in tandem as integral components of the integrated communications ecosystem.

The dual-headquartered agency in MENA (Riyadh and Dubai) is also bolstering its leadership team within its consumer and corporate divisions, with three senior positions having been named. These efforts are being made to support growth with unity, boost leadership abilities, and further broaden the agency’s capabilities to meet the evolving demands of the market.

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, said: “As the communications landscape shifts amidst AI advancement and ongoing innovation, staying ahead means embracing change with bold thinking and innovative solutions. This is exactly what the integration of Atteline and Ruder Finn achieves. We have united a powerful combination of global expertise and regional creativity, positioning us to deliver next-generation strategies tailored for MENA. With a strong foundation in digital, data, and AI-driven storytelling, Ruder Finn Atteline is poised to help clients navigate what’s next — not tomorrow, but today.”

Sophie Simpson, managing director of Ruder Finn Atteline — MENA, added: “Continually pioneering the future of communications for the past 70-plus years, Ruder Finn has evolved into one of the world’s largest independent agencies today.”

As Ruder Finn Atteline, we maintain the core elements — creativity and culture — that have brought us success for almost a decade, whilst offering the global expertise and know-how of Ruder Finn. This evolution uniquely positions us as a center of thinking for growth to build an agency of the future, one where data-driven insights, creativity, and technology-driven strategies lead the way.”

Leveraging Ruder Finn’s global tech capabilities, namely its Tech Hub, Ruder Finn Atteline is integrating advanced solutions to boost both internal operations and external offerings. In addition to introducing new divisions and bolstering existing ones, the agency is also strengthening its Sonar and crisis communications offerings, recognized as among the agency’s most impactful services. Building on this strong foundation, the agency is expanding its expertise into the sports and entertainment, automotive and travel and tourism sectors.

HMD Skyline 5G brings new era of European innovation to KSA