As part of wider transformation strategy, Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier will partner with SAP to accelerate move to cloud, storing data on Google’s Dammam Cloud Region 

Senior executives attending the signing ceremony included (center) Fahd Nawwab, Vice President, SAP KSA and Abdulgader Attiah, Chief Data and Technology Officer of Saudia Group (both seated); and (standing) Ahmed AlFaifi, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director, SAP Middle East & Africa - North and Abdul Rahman Al Thehaiban, Google Cloud Managing Director, Middle East, Turkey & Africa.
 
 RIYADH, KSA — 31 January, 2024 — Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has become the first airline customer to adopt the newly launched RISE with SAP on Google Cloud in the country. The move is part of the airline’s wider strategic digital transformation aimed at strengthening its support for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to bring the world to Saudi Arabia.
 
Having unveiled its new branding and livery at the end of September last year, Saudia has since announced a host of innovations and partnerships with SAP and Google Cloud aimed at optimizing operational efficiency, improving safety and reducing operational and maintenance costs. In the latest development, Saudia will benefit from an accelerated move to the cloud, upgrades to the newest technologies and SAP-powered sustainability focused solutions, in addition to SAP’s aviation industry-specific software. Mission-critical data will be hosted on Google Cloud, underpinning Saudia’s commitment to align with the Kingdom’s data sovereignty and sustainability goals. 
 
Abdulgader Attiah, Chief Data and Technology Officer of Saudia Group, commented, “Saudia’s transformation focuses on ensuring the highest standards of safety, efficiency and sustainability, while simultaneously delivering an exceptional service to our guests. Moving our mission-critical business to the cloud is an important element in this process. With the new system in place, solutions will be upgraded automatically so we remain on the cutting edge of technology developments while storing data in a sustainable and secure way within the Kingdom.”

SAP has been selected for the project due to its successful long-term technology partnership with Saudia and because of its extensive experience in the aviation industry. Included in the RISE package is S/4HANA, SAP’s enterprise resource planning solution, offering 360-degree visibility over all operations, real-time data insights, automated processes, and increased efficiencies.  In addition, SAP will implement industry-specific programs that include route profitability and analysis solutions that enable airlines to adjust flight frequencies to optimize schedules to enhance passenger convenience, profitability, and sustainability. 
 
Ahmed AlFaifi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, SAP Middle East & Africa - North, commented, “We have partnered with Saudia since 2009, and have supported its growth strategy from strength to strength, always seeking to enhance services through the latest technologies, and now future proofing its operations. With RISE with SAP on Google Cloud, Saudia will free up time to focus on innovation and exceptional service delivery, knowing their systems are optimized and their data secure. Saudia is leading the way for customers in the Kingdom who want to run SAP on a fast, secure and reliable cloud, achieving a compelling return on investment. We have tailor-made solutions for customers of all sizes and in all industries who wish to accelerate their digital transformation.”
 
AlFaifi added that as part of the wider digital transformation, Saudia will deploy SAP solutions for its human resources, procurement and other functions including SAP SuccessFactors Employee Suite, SAP Fieldglass Services Procurement, SAP BW/4HANA data warehouse solution, SAP Analytical Cloud and Ariba.
 
Google Cloud’s Dammam-based cloud region launch was announced in November 2023. With this new cloud region, Google Cloud aims to enhance innovation, accelerate transformation, and support the growth of the Saudi digital economy through cloud computing services.
 
Abdul Rahman Al Thehaiban, Managing Director, Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Google Cloud, said, “Google Cloud offers world-class cloud infrastructure, designed to maximize availability and performance, which is key for mission critical applications. Google Cloud offers a suite of industry-tailored solutions, while using its robust infrastructure to deepen insights through artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics in an environmentally sustainable way.”