Riyadh Airports Company and Uber have signed an agreement to transport passengers to and from King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh.
CEO of Riyadh Airports Saleh Al-Rasheed said: “The agreement, which was signed today, is the first of its kind for the company in the Kingdom, and allows Uber driver-partners to reliably pickup and drop off passengers from dedicated Uber locations at arrival and departure terminals 1, 2, and 5 at King Khalid International Airport.”
He added: “This agreement is in line with Riyadh Airports’ approach toward developing strategic partnerships that will enhance the customer experience of passengers traveling through King Khalid International Airport, and will ensure that customer satisfaction is aided by the continued availability of safe, reliable and efficient services.”
Zeid Hreish, general manager of Uber KSA, said: “This is a significant announcement for us, as the partnership reinforces Uber’s commitment to providing safe and reliable transportation everywhere and for everyone, and is in line with the Kingdom’s move toward working with forward-thinking companies like Uber. We look forward to more similar partnerships around the Kingdom in the near future, and to provide thousands of travelers around the country with safe, reliable and affordable transportation at the push of a button.”
Hreish added: “Since Uber launched in Saudi, millions of people installed the app, and have been using the technology to move around their cities easily, safely and cost-effectively. Uber is supporting the government’s focus on Saudization as part of its National Transformation Plan, and since the Saudi Public Transport Authority passed the ride-sharing regulations, we have already on-boarded more than 80,000 Saudi driver-partners on the app, and we will continue to invite more to use the technology.”
Riyadh Airports Company is a newly established company — part of the privatization program of the aviation sector in Saudi Arabia — and is responsible for managing and operating KKIA in the Saudi capital. Riyadh Airports is also currently moving forward with plans to upgrade KKIA infrastructure and expand with new services and facilities.
Riyadh Airports, Uber ink deal to transport passengers
Riyadh Airports, Uber ink deal to transport passengers
EXPRO wins ‘Best Executive and Leadership Program’ award at HRSE KSA 2024
The Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority has won the “Best Executive and Leadership Program” award presented at the Human Resources Summit and Expo Saudi 2024.
The HRSE KSA Awards 2024 honored distinguished entities and individuals in the field of human resources. EXPRO was selected from among more than 130 local, Gulf and Arab entities nominated for the awards.
Reem bint Abdulrahman Al-Rahili, vice president of human capital and academy at EXPRO, said the award is a testament to the authority’s implementation of an innovative and comprehensive framework for managing national leadership competencies. This framework contributes to the development of professional capabilities and assists in achieving the authority’s strategic goals.
Al-Rahili said: “This recognition is consistent with the authority’s strategy aimed at building a high-performance organization. It aligns with the strategy of EXPRO Academy and the Leadership Development Program, which stem from the strategic objectives of the Human Capacity Development Program, one of the programs of Vision 2030. These initiatives support and empower executive leaders to lead work teams and achieve these objectives. This enables employees to develop professionally through an attractive work environment, relying on attracting and nurturing talent for a prosperous future.”
The HRSE KSA Awards highlight the best modern practices in the field of human resources in Saudi Arabia and their importance in competition at the regional and international levels. The awards include 10 categories, and nominations are evaluated by a jury of more than 15 experts in the field of human resources. Winners are selected based on criteria that include the importance of the initiative or program and its alignment with the organization’s strategy, the program’s implementation mechanism, the most prominent innovative tools used, as well as the impact and results achieved in meeting the organization’s objectives.
Earlier this year, EXPRO ranked third across the Kingdom for adopting the “Best Workplace Environment” for 2023, presented by Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture. Additionally, EXPRO ranked first among government entities across the Kingdom for best human resources practices, awarded by the Top Employers Institute.
EXPRO aims to contribute to achieving spending efficiency in government entities, enhancing the efficiency of government procurement operations, as well as raising the quality of projects, assets, and facilities, planning infrastructure, programs, initiatives, and operational processes. It also develops policies, systems, and methodologies, and builds and qualifies national cadres.
FedEx ‘Regional Economy’ services empower Saudi businesses
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, is supporting the growing volume of merchandise trade across the Middle East with FedEx Regional Economy and FedEx Regional Economy Freight services. The deferred, day-definite road services offer cost-effective solutions for less urgent shipments to businesses of all sizes, within key countries across the region.
According to the World Trade Organization, the volume of exports originating from the Middle East is expected to grow by 3.5 percent in 2024, alongside a 1.2 percent increase in imports to the region. These figures indicate that local businesses need robust logistical support to manage an increasing flow of trade.
“At FedEx, we develop products and services that solve logistical challenges for our customers, specialized to fit the unique needs of the markets they operate in,” said Taarek Hinedi, vice president of FedEx Express Middle East and Africa operations. “With trade volumes growing across the region, businesses require increasingly flexible and customized shipping solutions that cater to the nature of their operations and products. By offering cost-effective shipping alternatives for less urgent deliveries, Regional Economy services empower Saudi businesses with a wider portfolio of solutions to choose from — ultimately enabling smoother and improved trade flow across the region.”
FedEx Regional Economy and FedEx Regional Economy Freight utilize the Middle East Road Network to offer seamless connectivity between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE, while ensuring the safe and secure transportation of goods using real-time track and trace services via fedex.com. With this service, shipments will have express clearance with competitive transit times between three to five business days for Regional Economy and four to six business days for Regional Economy Freight between key Middle East markets.
The customs-cleared, door-to-door intra-Middle East economy road services allow businesses to save significant costs on less time-sensitive deliveries of shipments of up to 68 kg using FedEx Regional Economy, as well as shipments above 68 kg using FedEx Regional Economy Freight, without compromising reliability.
FedEx Regional Economy services are ideal for Saudi companies operating across diverse industries, including automotive, electronics, oil and gas, fashion and retail, chemicals, e-commerce, and healthcare. These industries have different shipping requirements ranging from lightweight parcels to heavyweight shipments. Businesses can use the economy road service to ship palletized or irregular-sized goods, or goods that cannot fit in standard-size air shipping containers.
In Saudi Arabia, FedEx also offers the Less-than-Container Load Priority service to complement its Regional Economy suite. LCL Priority adeptly combines ocean and road networks to connect the Asia Pacific with key Middle East markets, streamlining shipping operations for businesses while offering a strategic balance of speed, affordability, and efficiency.
These services are further enhanced by FedEx digital tools, which provide a range of smart logistics solutions for Saudi businesses. These include automated shipment creation and pickup scheduling functionalities, digitized trade documentation platforms, and measurement and reporting solutions that inform better decision-making.
Saudi Awwal Bank named ‘Best Bank for ESG’ for second year in a row
Saudi Awwal Bank, one of the leading banks in the Kingdom, received Euromoney’s “Best Bank for ESG” award for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes SAB’s approach to sustainability and reporting.
The recognition comes as part of SAB’s efforts to align with market best practices whilst being a key contributor toward shaping corporate sustainability discussions in the Kingdom.
Tony Cripps, managing director and CEO at SAB, said: “We are proud to have received this award. This is a recognition of our efforts to embed ESG principles across our operations and decision-making processes.”
He added: “It is a testament to our commitment to sustainable banking and our desire to create long-term value for our stakeholders.”
SAB’s continuous improvement and high-performance standards have been recognized with other awards such as the “Best Bank in Saudi Arabia” and “Best Trade Finance Provider in Saudi Arabia” awards by Global Finance.
The bank was also honored with the Euromoney magazine’s “Best Bank for Private Banking in the Kingdom” award. These awards signify SAB’s exceptional services, highlighting its strength in catering to the Kingdom’s evolving business landscape with utmost efficiency and innovative solutions.
MYNM’s Defender partners with Hero Balloon Flights in AlUla
Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Co., the official distributor of Jaguar Land Rover products in Saudi Arabia, has signed a landmark partnership with Hero Balloon Flights, a subsidiary of Hero Experiences Group, the Kingdom’s first commercial hot air balloon operator, and the exclusive hot air balloon experience provider in AlUla. This collaboration is designed to enhance the guest experience in AlUla, one of the most enchanting and historic regions in Saudi Arabia.
AlUla, known for its rich history and stunning landscapes, now hosts an innovative experience that fuses tradition with modernity. This partnership will see the iconic Defender, renowned for its adventurous spirit and heritage, integrated into Hero Balloon Flights’ offerings. Guests will be transported in luxurious Defenders to enjoy breathtaking hot air balloon journeys over AlUla’s majestic canyons and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Hegra archaeological site.
Rhett Maxwell, managing director, MYNM Co. (Jaguar Land Rover), said: “The Defender, much like AlUla, is steeped in heritage, designed for adventure and embodies a legacy of endurance and exploration. Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Co. is pleased to showcase the Defender’s capabilities in a setting that resonates with Jaguar Land Rover, with a shared heritage and a commitment to exceptional experiences. We are thrilled to offer guests of AlUla an unparalleled experience that combines the thrill of exploration with the utmost luxury and comfort of the Defender.”
Adam McEwan, co-founder and chief executive of Hero Experiences Group, highlighted the significance of the partnership: “The addition of the Defender to our fleet in AlUla rounds off the experience with that touch of luxury we are known for. The three key elements in this venture — AlUla, Defender, and Hero Experiences Group — are all passionate about adventure, culture, and heritage. That makes this the ideal partnership in an ideal location, giving us the opportunity to truly showcase what makes AlUla so special, enhanced by unique experiences in beautiful vehicles. We are extremely excited to partner with Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Co. in this venture. We see this to be a long-term and fruitful relationship that will take the opportunities to discover AlUla to new heights, quite literally.”
The collaboration is more than a partnership; it is a celebration of the shared values of adventure and heritage. The Defender complements AlUla’s awe-inspiring beauty, offering a harmonious blend of the past and the present.
Together, MYNM Co. and Hero Balloon Flights are committed to providing visitors with a truly memorable and unique experience that honors the spirit of exploration as well as the rich cultural tapestry of AlUla.
New Murabba opens partnership doors for Mukaab
The New Murabba Development Company, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is inviting the world’s leading contractors to take part in bringing its groundbreaking Mukaab to reality. An icon and cornerstone of Riyadh’s New Murabba mixed-use development, the Mukaab will feature the latest immersive technologies and will be one of the largest built structures in the world.
The year 2024 is primed to be a year of major progress for this landmark, with the excavation of nearly 5 million cubic meters of material, the award of the permanent piling works slated to commence in Q2 2024, and the tendering of the raft foundation and main works packages later this year — each marking a significant milestone in the destination’s progression.
“As part of its mission to deliver the Mukaab, New Murabba Development Company seeks to partner with contractors who uphold the highest standards of excellence, safety, worker welfare, sustainability, and innovation in all aspects of delivery,” a statement said.
“Applying contractors should share New Murabba’s bold vision, and be qualified to apply advanced approaches and methodologies that will ensure the development’s success and breathe life into the architectural marvel that the Mukaab represents.”
This invitation extends to globally recognized contractors specialized in large-scale construction developments that cover the full spectrum of the project delivery lifecycle, from the enabling work stage through to the construction and handover stages.
Additionally, New Murabba Development Company is seeking the interest of leading international, regional, and Saudi-based contractors specialized in long-span structural steel works, large-scale design-build façade developments, expansive public realm constructions, critical infrastructure, and pioneering technology developments.
Contractors interested in contributing to the delivery of this innovative destination, which symbolizes Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural heritage and commitment to innovation, are encouraged to visit the New Murabba Development Company website for more information.
“By partnering with New Murabba Development Company, contractors will have an outstanding opportunity to contribute to a development that is set to become an international symbol of architectural and construction excellence,” the statement said. “Partnering with New Murabba Development Company to bring the Mukaab to life will involve taking part in a legacy that will stand the test of time and inspire the Kingdom’s future generations,” it added.
Once completed, the Mukaab will be one of the largest built structures in the world, measuring 400 meters in height, width, and length.
