Azure opens Azure Takhassusi residential community in Riyadh, fully leased to Saudia

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Updated 01 February 2026
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Azure opens Azure Takhassusi residential community in Riyadh, fully leased to Saudia

Azure, a Mohammed Al Habib Real Estate company and the owner of Riyadh’s largest portfolio of residential compounds, has announced the official opening of Azure Takhassusi, its newest premium residential community. The project has been fully leased to Saudia, the Kingdom’s national flag carrier.

The launch marks a major milestone in the eight-year partnership between Azure and Saudia, one of the longest-running and most successful corporate housing collaborations in Saudi Arabia. The development reflects Saudia’s continued confidence in Azure’s ability to deliver high-quality residential environments that meet strict standards of comfort, privacy, service excellence and operational reliability.

Purpose-built to support the wellbeing and lifestyle needs of airline professionals, Azure Takhassusi offers more than accommodation. The community provides a fully integrated living experience, combining modern residences, premium facilities, dedicated resident services and professional community management. Designed to promote stability, convenience and peace of mind, the compound allows employees to focus on their professional responsibilities with confidence.

“This opening represents more than the launch of a new residential compound,” said Fahad Al Assaf, president of Azure. “It is a strong statement of trust built over eight years of partnership with Saudia. Azure Takhassusi reflects what long-term collaboration can achieve when two organizations share a commitment to quality, people and performance.”

For Saudia, fully leasing Azure Takhassusi underscores the airline’s continued investment in its workforce. By providing secure, comfortable and professionally managed housing, the airline aims to strengthen its employee value proposition, recognizing the role that high-quality living environments play in attracting and retaining talent.

Azure currently operates the largest portfolio of residential compounds in Riyadh and is a market leader in corporate housing for major institutions across the Kingdom. Its partnership with Saudia remains one of its most significant, spanning eight years of steady growth and large-scale delivery.

The opening of Azure Takhassusi marks another milestone in that journey, setting a new benchmark for corporate housing that supports workforce wellbeing, operational excellence and long-term partnerships in Saudi Arabia.


Saudi Awwal Bank becomes first Middle East bank to earn 7-star CinOrg innovation accreditation

Saeed Assiri, chief innovation banking officer at SAB
Updated 05 March 2026
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Saudi Awwal Bank becomes first Middle East bank to earn 7-star CinOrg innovation accreditation

Saudi Awwal Bank has become the first bank in the Middle East to receive a 7‑star Certified Innovative Organization rating from the Global Innovation Institute, the highest recognition awarded by the institute.

The accreditation marks a significant step in SAB’s innovation strategy and follows an innovation maturity assessment conducted by the institute in December 2025. The review, which built on an earlier assessment in December 2023, raised the bank’s maturity level from “Champion” to “Leader.” The new rating reflects SAB’s institutionalized approach to innovation, its enterprise-wide impact and its ability to consistently deliver measurable results.

With the 7‑star rating, SAB becomes the first bank in the region to reach the highest innovation maturity level, strengthening its position as a regional reference point for innovation-led and future-ready banking.

In 2025, the bank opened its flagship Innovation Centre and secured six internationally recognized innovation awards, along with a lab accreditation. The centre has supported SAB’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies, encourage cross-functional collaboration and reinforce its standing as a regional leader in financial innovation.

Saeed Assiri, chief innovation banking officer at SAB, said the recognition reflects years of focused work to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem.

“By investing in SAB’s culture, governance and talent, innovation enables the bank to remain future-ready,” he said. “This milestone reinforces our role in accelerating financial innovation in Saudi Arabia and delivering long-term value for our customers.”

The certification adds to SAB’s broader efforts to strengthen its innovation capabilities as the Kingdom’s banking sector continues to evolve.