Matarat Holding taps Thales to modernize Saudi airports

Abdullah Suaydan, GM of digital strategy and transformation, Matarat Holding, and Lionel Collot, strategy and marketing director, Thales KSA and CA.
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Updated 27 May 2025
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Matarat Holding taps Thales to modernize Saudi airports

Matarat Holding has signed an MoU with Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies. This strategic partnership, signed at Passenger Terminal Expo in Madrid, Spain, seeks to drive innovation, operational efficiency, and improved passenger experience through digital solutions and collaborative technological advancements.

Matarat Holding manages the operations of 27 airports in Saudi Arabia through its subsidiaries (Riyadh Airports, Jeddah Airports, Dammam Airports, and Cluster 2), and the MoU establishes a comprehensive framework for cooperation across multiple strategic areas of aviation development. Through this partnership, Thales will implement its expertise in smart technologies to modernize airport operations and management, driving digital transformation across Matarat’s subsidiaries. The collaboration will focus on sharing innovation and best practices to enhance service quality, streamline operational processes, and adopt future-ready solutions that will set new industry standards.

A key priority of the agreement is enhancing the traveler experience by leveraging Thales’ advanced capabilities in AI, biometrics, automation, and data-driven systems to create seamless and secure passenger journeys. The partnership will also enable the implementation of advanced digital platforms and next-generation infrastructure in Matarat airports.

Bernard Roux, CEO of Thales in Saudi Arabia and Central Asia, said: “This collaboration with Matarat Holding represents a transformative step in reshaping the future of Saudi aviation. By combining Thales’ expertise in digital transformation with Matarat’s operational excellence, we are not just implementing technologies — we are co-creating a smart and safe aviation ecosystem. Our joint solutions in AI, cybersecurity and connected systems will set new benchmarks for operational efficiency, enhanced passenger experience, and national security, directly contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions to become a global aviation leader.”


‘Wealth Grows Here’: Aljazira Bank launches new brand identity

Updated 23 December 2025
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‘Wealth Grows Here’: Aljazira Bank launches new brand identity

Aljazira Bank announced the launch of its new brand identity under the slogan “Wealth Grows Here,” marking a natural evolution in a growth journey spanning more than five decades. Over the years, successive phases of transformation have shaped the bank into what it is today, with the new identity serving as the culmination of a strategic chapter that strengthened the bank’s role within the Saudi banking sector.

As part of this milestone, the new brand launch also extended to Aljazira Capital, the bank’s investment arm, reflecting a unified vision and strategic alignment across the group. The updated identity of Aljazira Capital underscored its evolution as a specialized investment and wealth management institution, focused on delivering carefully structured investment solutions and strengthening its role as a trusted partner in building and growing long-term investment portfolios, fully aligned with the bank’s broader direction.

The announcement also included the launch of the new identity for Fawri, aligning it with the bank’s updated brand and reflecting its commitment to delivering reliable and seamless financial transfers within an advanced and integrated financial ecosystem.

Naif bin Abdulkareem Al-Abdulkareem, CEO and managing director of Aljazira Bank, said: “The new brand identity goes beyond a visual change; it is a true reflection of what the bank has become today. Since the strategic refresh in 2023, we have restructured how we operate, aligned our business lines around a shared objective, and strengthened execution. The progress we see today, in service quality and speed of delivery — confirms that we are moving in the right direction.”

The new identity reflects the outcomes of the bank’s 2023 strategic transformation, a pivotal milestone in its journey. This phase focused on developing an integrated banking ecosystem with a stronger emphasis on individual wealth management, supported by a more agile and efficient operating model led by digital channels. It balanced sustainable growth with strengthening the corporate portfolio, accelerating investment in digital infrastructure and human capital, and enhancing operational efficiency.

Since its establishment, Aljazira Bank has progressed through successive stages of growth, evolving from a traditional bank into a more innovative and specialized financial institution. Today, it places wealth management at the core of its proposition, offering a banking experience built on long-term relationships and a deep understanding of clients’ financial aspirations. In parallel, the bank has continued to reinforce its role as a trusted partner to the business sector, serving large corporates as well as small and medium-sized enterprises through solutions that support growth, sustainability, and the Kingdom’s broader economic development goals.

At the heart of this direction stands the bank’s new slogan, “Wealth Grows Here,” which captures its role as a key partner in building and preserving wealth for individuals and businesses alike, creating sustainable value beyond the delivery of traditional banking services.