Saudi platform Absher records 2.6m e-transactions in July amid digital shift

The interactive online platform experienced a surge in transactions during July, surpassing May’s record of 2.2 million. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 23 August 2023
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Saudi platform Absher records 2.6m e-transactions in July amid digital shift

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s online platform, Absher, facilitated 2.6 million electronic transactions in July, aligning closely with the Kingdom’s digital transformation agenda. 

Provided by the Saudi Interior Ministry, the interactive online platform experienced a surge in transactions during July, surpassing May’s record of 2.2 million.

The trend underscores the platform’s role in providing citizens, residents, and visitors easy access to essential e-services across multiple ministry departments.

Launched in 2010, Absher’s online service was introduced to enhance productivity and streamline operations within government bodies while elevating customer satisfaction levels.

In its latest report, Absher revealed that the Interior Ministry’s Agency for Civil Status saw a notable surge in online activity in July. 

Specifically, the platform recorded 128,255 e-transactions for ID validity verification, followed by 27,505 for national ID renewal. 

Additionally, Absher handled 11,057 e-transactions focused on issuing family registries, underscoring its significance in providing seamless digital services. 

The Byanati service, which addresses the Kingdom’s civil affairs, saw Absher serving 37,185 individuals in July. It included 9,209 e-transactions to issue replacements for damaged national IDs and 28,517 for lost national IDs.

The General Directorate of Passports utilized Absher to issue or renew 393,986 electronic passports and 640,588 residency permits in the past month.

The platform also facilitated 58,270 inquiries for extending exit and reentry visas and 389,803 for issuing new ones.

Absher enabled other transactions, including 6,642 for transferring services, 32,246 for residency print requests and 15,047 for canceling final exit visas. 

The General Directorate of Passports conducted 2,029 transactions to issue authorizations for female employees arriving for work, alongside 109,736 transactions for issuing and renewing passports for periods less than a decade.

On the traffic front, Absher paved the way for the services of the General Directorate of Traffic, Muroor.

In July, these operations included 108,469 transactions for vehicle license renewal, 86,717 requests for vehicle repair permits, 66,096 for driver license renewal, and 84,347 requests for driving authorizations.

Additional traffic operations through Absher in July encompassed 17,885 transactions for scrapping damaged and unwanted vehicles and 13,797 transactions for vehicle sales.

The platform also facilitated 4,881 transactions to review vehicle insurance validity and 23,327 transactions for replacing number plates.


New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

Updated 28 January 2026
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New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has issued a request for information to gauge the market for modular and offsite fit-out solutions for its flagship Mukaab development, MEED reported on Wednesday.

The RFI was released on Jan. 26, with submissions due by Feb. 11. NMDC has also scheduled a market engagement meeting during the first week of February to discuss potential solutions with prospective contractors.

Sources close to the project told MEED that NMDC is “seeking experienced suppliers and contractors to advise on the feasibility, constraints, and execution strategy for using non-load-bearing modular systems for the four corner towers framing the Mukaab structure.” The feedback gathered from these discussions will be incorporated into later design and procurement decisions.

The four towers — two residential (North and South) and two mixed-use (East and West) — are integral to the Mukaab’s architectural layout. Each tower is expected to rise approximately 375 meters and span over 80 stories. Key modular elements under consideration include bathroom pods, kitchen pods, dressing room modules, panelized steel partition systems, and other offsite-manufactured fit-out solutions.

Early works on the Mukaab were completed last year, with NMDC preparing to award the estimated $1 billion contract for the main raft works. This was highlighted in a presentation by NMDC’s chief project delivery officer on Sept. 9, 2025, during the Future Projects Forum in Riyadh.

Earlier this month, US-based Parsons Corp. was awarded a contract by NMDC to provide design and construction technical support. Parsons will act as the lead design consultant for infrastructure, delivering services covering public buildings, infrastructure, landscaping, and the public realm at New Murabba. The firm will also support the development of the project’s downtown experience, which spans 14 million sq. meters of residential, workplace, and entertainment space.

The Parsons contract follows NMDC’s October 2025 agreements with three other US-based engineering firms for design work across the development. New York-headquartered Kohn Pedersen Fox was appointed to lead early design for the first residential community, while Aecom and Jacobs were selected as lead design consultants for the Mukaab district.

In August 2025, NMDC signed a memorandum of understanding with Falcons Creative Group, another US-based firm, to develop the creative vision and immersive experiences for the Mukaab project. Meanwhile, Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Co. completed the excavation works for the Mukaab, and UAE-headquartered HSSG Foundation Contracting executed the foundation works.