Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) will begin scheduled flights between Riyadh and Jeddah to Mauritius from Sept. 14.
Mauritius is the third new route for the airline this year and 87th destination overall.
The island provides a variety of attractions, such as marine and eco-tourism ventures, diving, beaches and much more.
For the first time, the two nations will have regular scheduled flights, proving a seamless link for passengers from Mauritius to visit the Kingdom.
Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said: “As a full-service carrier, Saudia provides an extensive selection of routes for leisure and business travelers alike. The start of services to the island of Mauritius provides guests with a unique destination to visit. We thank the government of Mauritius and the civil authority for welcoming Saudia and extending their full support.”
Flight SV481 will operate from Riyadh to Mauritius, with a brief one-hour stop in Jeddah. The total flying time to Mauritius is nine hours from Riyadh and seven hours 20 minutes from Jeddah.
The three-times-weekly service will be operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in a two-class configuration of 24 fully-flat seats in business class and 274 seats in guest class. All aircraft in Saudia’s fleet include its inflight entertainment and connectivity system, which includes over 2,500 hours of movies, television programs, games, music and more.
Special introductory fares are now available for purchase and can be obtained from the airline’s website, its mobile app, or through a travel agent. Packages including flight, hotels and excursions can all be pre-arranged and booked through the airline’s tourism division Saudia Holidays (www.holidaysbysaudia.com).
Saudia begins flights to Mauritius
Saudia begins flights to Mauritius
inDrive gets license to operate in Saudi Arabia
Ride-hailing service provider charges zero percent service fee from drivers
inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, has obtained a license to operate ride-hailing services in Saudi Arabia.
The company has already started operations in Jeddah and is planning to launch in full operational capacity.
With offices in Riyadh and Jeddah, inDrive is considering expanding to other cities in the country this year.
Originally from Siberia, inDrive has quickly become one of the leading ride-hailing services in the MENA region and is ranked the second mobility app globally with 280+ million downloads.
Saudi Arabia will be the 49th country in which inDrive will operate.
Abdulrahman Basallum, inDrive country manager in the Kingdom, said: “The unique operational model of inDrive, where the driver and passenger determine the price, has been groundbreaking.
"This has allowed the company to challenge the dominance of large players who, taking advantage of their monopoly, charge exorbitant 25-40 percent commissions from drivers.
"The economy of Saudi Arabia is one of the central ones in the region, and thousands of people make daily trips, paying unclear fares, while drivers face huge service fees.
"We believe we have a great opportunity to provide residents and visitors of Saudi Arabia with excellent service at a fair price and with transparent conditions.”
The core idea of inDrive's business model is the freedom of choice.
Unlike traditional ride-hailing apps, inDrive users can choose not only the driver or passenger, based on ratings and reviews from previous riders, but also based on the price.
inDrive provides a unique bidding model, where both driver and passenger negotiate the price directly. The passenger proposes a price first, and the driver can accept, reject, or adjust the offer without penalties. As a result, the final price is considered the fairest, as agreed upon by both parties involved in the ride.
inDrive charges the lowest service fee in all markets of operation, which is two to three times less than most competitors, including large international companies that are able to set higher fees due to their strong market presence.
inDrive’s strategy has proven successful — fair prices and transparency in transactions — which plays a crucial role in the service’s popularity.
Word of mouth has become one of the primary tools for promoting the service, enabling inDrive to outpace many global companies supported by major investment funds in multiple markets.
According to the firm Sensor Tower, for a third year in a row, inDrive is the second-most downloaded mobility app in the world and is one of the leading travel apps in MENA (particularly number one in Morocco and Egypt).
The company also operates in Asia, Africa, and Latin America – 49 countries in total.
inDrive attracted investments for global funds such as Insight Partners, Bond Capital and General Catalyst.
In the latest investment valuation in 2021, the company was valued at $1.23 billion. Since then, the company’s revenue has increased several times.
The mission of inDrive is to challenge injustice, and the company's goal is to have a positive impact on the lives of more than 1 billion people by 2030.
In line with this mission and goal, inDrive is developing a range of social initiatives in the areas of education, sports, culture, ecology, and gender equality.
These initiatives are already actively developing in the MENA region, in Egypt and Morocco, and in Saudi Arabia, as it also plans to follow its strategy by reinvesting a portion of its income into community empowerment.
inDrive remains an international leader in its industry, and, operating worldwide, the company places a strong emphasis on user safety.
The company uses cutting-edge security technologies to verify drivers and to track rides, and prioritizes critical requests handled by its 24/7 customer support service.
SAB launches first off-balance sheet digital Islamic supply chain transaction in KSA
Saudi Awwal Bank and United Pharmaceuticals, a retail pharmacy chain in the Kingdom, have successfully executed the first off-balance sheet end-to-end digital Islamic supply chain finance transaction in Saudi Arabia. A significant milestone in the realm of Islamic finance, this groundbreaking achievement enables automated discounted early payments for United Pharmaceuticals’ strategic suppliers.
Recently, SAB upgraded its supply chain platform to accommodate Islamic transactions by incorporating new Shariah-compliant features. This enabled United Pharmaceuticals to successfully upload their payment file and benefit from enhancements, including fully automated processes for recording and approval, and sales contract generation for Shariah compliance.
This leading-edge solution drastically cuts down the manual processing time from hours to minutes. It has brought significant advantages to United Pharmaceuticals, including improved efficiency and control in supplier invoice processing and payments, reduced client operational tasks and risks, stronger supplier relationships due to timely Shariah-compliant payments, optimized working capital management with extended payment terms through non-recourse early discounting based on the buyer’s creditworthiness, and improved pricing.
Yasser Al-Barrak, chief corporate and institutional banking officer at SAB, said: “We are thrilled to lead the way in providing innovative solutions that meet the needs of our clients while adhering to Islamic principles. This transaction showcases our commitment to enhancing the financial landscape in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.”
He added: “The integration of technology and Islamic finance represents a significant step forward in supporting businesses and fostering economic growth in the Kingdom.” Khaled Yassin, CEO of United Company, said: “We are proud to sign this agreement, which represents a strategic step in developing our financial operations and strengthening our relationships with our partners.”
This initiative will significantly contribute to improving our liquidity management, enabling us to achieve higher operational efficiency and support our expansion plans with greater flexibility and effectiveness.”
Dr. Mohamed Abdelwahab El-Mursi, CFO of United Company, added: “This agreement will provide innovative financial solutions that help reduce operational complexities and enhance efficiency in payment processes and working capital management. We are extremely pleased with this partnership with SAB, which reflects our commitment to financial innovation and delivering added value to our suppliers and customers.”
This Islamic platform enhancement underscores the importance of digitization and the immense potential of Islamic structured trade solutions in the Kingdom. SAB is dedicated to advancing its supply chain platform to deliver automated discounting solutions that serve both Islamic and conventional transactions effectively.
Ruder Finn Atteline unveils new brand identity
After nearly 10 years in the region, Ruder Finn Atteline, formerly Atteline, is strengthening its proposition as the MENA arm of Ruder Finn with local insight and global capabilities. With a fresh brand identity and newly designed logo combining Ruder Finn’s 75 years of global expertise alongside Atteline’s hallmark creativity and culture, the integrated communications agency is now gearing up to set a new pace for the decade ahead.
Aligning with its global “What’s Next” positioning — a commitment to always remaining one step ahead of industry trends and leading with a data-driven, digital-first, early-adopter mindset — Ruder Finn Atteline is now doubling down on enhancing client experiences and innovatively empowering employees.
As part of this vision, Ruder Finn Atteline is preparing to launch its Content Hub, a first-of-its-kind platform for the region to prioritize authentic storytelling in an era increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. This move aligns with the ongoing expansion of its Digital Division, ensuring that both verticals work in tandem as integral components of the integrated communications ecosystem.
The dual-headquartered agency in MENA (Riyadh and Dubai) is also bolstering its leadership team within its consumer and corporate divisions, with three senior positions having been named. These efforts are being made to support growth with unity, boost leadership abilities, and further broaden the agency’s capabilities to meet the evolving demands of the market.
Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, said: “As the communications landscape shifts amidst AI advancement and ongoing innovation, staying ahead means embracing change with bold thinking and innovative solutions. This is exactly what the integration of Atteline and Ruder Finn achieves. We have united a powerful combination of global expertise and regional creativity, positioning us to deliver next-generation strategies tailored for MENA. With a strong foundation in digital, data, and AI-driven storytelling, Ruder Finn Atteline is poised to help clients navigate what’s next — not tomorrow, but today.”
Sophie Simpson, managing director of Ruder Finn Atteline — MENA, added: “Continually pioneering the future of communications for the past 70-plus years, Ruder Finn has evolved into one of the world’s largest independent agencies today.”
As Ruder Finn Atteline, we maintain the core elements — creativity and culture — that have brought us success for almost a decade, whilst offering the global expertise and know-how of Ruder Finn. This evolution uniquely positions us as a center of thinking for growth to build an agency of the future, one where data-driven insights, creativity, and technology-driven strategies lead the way.”
Leveraging Ruder Finn’s global tech capabilities, namely its Tech Hub, Ruder Finn Atteline is integrating advanced solutions to boost both internal operations and external offerings. In addition to introducing new divisions and bolstering existing ones, the agency is also strengthening its Sonar and crisis communications offerings, recognized as among the agency’s most impactful services. Building on this strong foundation, the agency is expanding its expertise into the sports and entertainment, automotive and travel and tourism sectors.
Jameel Motors enters Polish market with GAC distribution deal
Jameel Motors, a provider of mobility solutions and partner of choice to top automotive brands, and GAC, one of China’s largest automakers with a presence in 76 countries, have signed an agreement to distribute GAC’s new energy vehicles in Poland.
This market entry creates new opportunities for Polish drivers, providing them with access to innovative and technologically advanced vehicles. Poland is one of the fastest-growing automotive markets in Europe, with consumers increasingly interested in electric vehicles. In 2024, the number of passenger car registrations in Poland increased by 19 percent, the second highest increase in Europe.
Jameel Motors will initially focus on the distribution of Aion and Hyptec, two of GAC’s main passenger car brands. Aion is GAC’s smart new energy vehicle brand and Hyptec is a high-end luxury brand, built on Aion’s first-class technology stack. Vehicles will be available for purchase in Q3 2025.
Jasmmine Wong, chief executive — mobility for Abdul Latif Jameel, said: “We are proud to introduce GAC’s innovative new energy vehicles to Polish drivers and meet the increasing demand for electric vehicles. GAC’s commitment to safety, quality, advanced technology, and sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission to provide cutting-edge mobility solutions. By bringing these vehicles to Poland, we are offering customers an exciting opportunity to experience the future of automotive innovation. This is a significant milestone in Jameel Motors’ international expansion.”
Thomas Schemera, global chief operating officer of GAC International, said: “GAC International is committed to a full localization strategy — integrating into Poland, serving Poland, and contributing to Poland — to enhance mobility for Polish users. We are thrilled to collaborate with Jameel Motors, a trusted and esteemed partner known for its deep market expertise and dedication to excellence. Moving forward, we will introduce more new energy vehicle models to meet market demand. By deepening cooperation and strengthening brand influence, we look forward to achieving new milestones in Poland together.”
Jameel Motors’ experienced team in Poland will be led by Marcin Slomkowski, a manager with 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. He is an expert in distribution and retail, having worked with the world’s largest automotive brands, as well as being a member of the Dealer Council in Poland.
Słomkowski said: “Our goal is to provide Polish drivers with safe, reliable, innovative, and competitively priced vehicles, while supporting the country’s green mobility transition. GAC’s vehicles stand out with their modern design, advanced driver assistance systems, high-quality materials, top-tier safety features, luxurious finish, and an extended driving range of up to 520 km per charge. We are confident that they will meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Jameel Motors plans to develop a nationwide dealer network to ensure convenient access to GAC vehicles and comprehensive service support. Additionally, Jameel Motors will offer attractive financing options, enabling customers to conveniently purchase and lease GAC vehicles. The offer will also include comprehensive fleet solutions for businesses, providing flexible financing options, servicing, and fleet management support.
Customers will initially be able to test and purchase three fully electric GAC models: Aion V, Aion Y Plus, and Hyptec HT. With the first models arriving in Polish showrooms in Q3 this year, Jameel Motors plans a dynamic expansion of its sales and service network to ensure the highest quality of customer support.
Jameel Motors represents some of the world’s most recognized commercial and passenger vehicle brands and has operations in more than 10 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.
VFS Global to promote Czechia’s allure to Middle East travelers
VFS Global has been appointed as the destination representation partner for CzechTourism in Middle East to showcase Czechia’s diverse travel experiences and unique attractions. Leveraging its extensive reach and expertise, VFS Global will drive marketing, public relations and trade engagement efforts to boost visitor numbers and enhance overall awareness of Czechia as a premier destination.
Travelers from Middle East can experience Czechia’s exciting outdoor activities and rich cultural heritage — featuring majestic castles, chateaux, 17 UNESCO monuments, historic cities and Czech cuisine in traditional and modern form. With this strategic collaboration, CzechTourism and VFS Global are poised to elevate Czechia’s presence on the global tourism map, inspiring more travelers to explore the country’s beauty and cultural richness.
Jana Štumpová Konicarová, marketing director and director of foreign offices at CzechTourism, said: “We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with VFS Global to promote Czechia’s rich cultural and natural attractions to travelers from the Middle East. In 2024, Czechia welcomed over 80,000 Middle East-based visitors, reflecting a growing interest in our vibrant cities, historic landmarks and serene countryside. Through this partnership, we aim to inspire even more travelers to explore and create lasting memories in one of Europe’s most captivating destinations.”
Barbara Andelová, international marketing manager — new markets at CzechTourism, added: “Partnering with VFS Global presents a tremendous opportunity to amplify Czechia’s presence in the Middle East. With a strategic focus on PR and marketing initiatives, our goal is to showcase Czechia’s deep-rooted heritage, diverse landscapes and unique travel experiences to a broader audience. Through this collaboration, we look forward to building stronger connections with the travel trade and media fraternity, inspiring more visitors to discover the charm of our country.”
G.B. Srithar, global head of tourism services at VFS Global, said: “We are happy to partner with CzechTourism to promote its diverse and exciting offerings to Middle East-based travelers ... With Middle East-based travelers becoming more discerning in their travel needs — seeking rich gastronomy, immersive heritage and authentic local experiences — they will find Czechia a very appealing destination. At VFS Global, we are delighted to foster a long-term partnership, building on our strong travel trade partner-friendships across the Middle East.”
