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With new regional HQs in Riyadh, Amadeus deepens commitment to Saudi tourism

 With new regional HQs in Riyadh, Amadeus deepens commitment to Saudi tourism
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Updated 57 sec ago

With new regional HQs in Riyadh, Amadeus deepens commitment to Saudi tourism

 With new regional HQs in Riyadh, Amadeus deepens commitment to Saudi tourism

Reflecting its support for º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s transformative Vision 2030, Amadeus, a leading global travel technology provider, has opened its regional headquarters in Riyadh. This strategic move marks a new chapter in Amadeus’ journey to empower the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving travel and tourism ecosystem.

The RHQ will serve as a hub of innovation and collaboration, with its central base in Riyadh. Designed to attract top-tier talent and foster cutting-edge solutions, the headquarters will play a pivotal role in advancing the technology in key areas such as modernization of airlines and airports, smart hospitality technologies, travel agency digitization, and supporting key milestones like the Kingdom’s giga-projects.

Amadeus is also working with the Kingdom to attract more visitors to the country, aiming to positioning º£½ÇÖ±²¥ as a premier global destination for both leisure and business travelers.

“This partnership is more than just business — it’s a shared vision,†a statement said. “Amadeus takes pride in contributing to º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s ambition to become a global hub for technology and tourism, supporting the Kingdom’s goals of economic diversification, digital transformation, and human capital development.â€

Amadeus is investing not only in infrastructure but also in supporting the country’s development goals by applying its global expertise to meet local and regional needs.

Maher Koubaa, EVP travel unit and managing director EMEA at Amadeus, said: “Our growing presence in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ reflects the rapid expansion of the region’s tourism industry and we’re excited to contribute to the Kingdom’s vision with our cutting-edge technology. By partnering closely with local stakeholders and investing in innovative solutions, we are working together to drive the digital transformation of travel. Our goal is to empower airlines, airports and travel partners to deliver seamless, personalized experiences for every traveler — all supporting º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s ambition to become a world-class destination and a global leader in tourism.â€Â 

Abdullah Alhagbani, chief partnerships and regulatory affairs officer at Saudi Tourism Authority, said: “Amadeus has been a key player in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ since 2004, and a trusted tourism partner since the Kingdom opened its doors to international visitors in 2019. For over 21 years, Amadeus has helped shape the growth of our tourism ecosystem, empowering over 1,087 companies, from airlines and airports to hotels, travel agencies and sellers, and digital platforms. And now, bringing over 35 years of global expertise to the heart of º£½ÇÖ±²¥, Amadeus further strengthens this partnership as we welcome their regional headquarters in Riyadh.

“This new chapter for Amadeus in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ is a vote of confidence in what’s next, reinforcing our shared ambition to shape a more connected, innovative, and human-centered future of travel. With Amadeus’ global expertise and advanced technology, the partnership will help accelerate º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s digital transformation and elevate the visitor experience.â€â€¯Â 


ALJ Finance and Ant join forces to grow Saudi MSMEs

ALJ Finance and Ant join forces to grow Saudi MSMEs
Updated 11 November 2025

ALJ Finance and Ant join forces to grow Saudi MSMEs

ALJ Finance and Ant join forces to grow Saudi MSMEs

Abdul Latif Jameel Finance, a leader in innovative financing solutions and services that is regulated by the Saudi Central Bank, and Ant International, a global digital payment, digitization and financial technology provider, have signed an MoU to jointly explore opportunities in the financial technology sector in º£½ÇÖ±²¥. Through this collaboration, ALJ Finance and Ant International will help grow and strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises in the Kingdom with advanced digital services.

Both parties plan to collaborate on a diversified range of innovative digital financial services to Saudi businesses and consumers. These include:

  • Exploring how WorldFirst, Ant International’s all-in-one digital cross-border payment and treasury account service, can leverage its technology to support ALJ Finance’s digitization strategy for its diverse financial and consumer businesses.
  • Collaborating on advanced cross-border payment solutions, leveraging Alipay+, Ant International’s global mobile wallet gateway, to support local and international expansion of customers in ALJ Finance’s robust merchant network in º£½ÇÖ±²¥.
  • Further partnering on opportunities in embedded finance, while leveraging Ant International’s digital technologies.

Dr. Khalid Alsharif, CEO of ALJ Finance, said: “Our collaboration with Ant International represents an important step toward realizing our vision of enabling innovative and more inclusive financial solutions in º£½ÇÖ±²¥. As the fintech ecosystem continues to evolve, we remain committed to contributing to the advancement of the financial sector, in line with Vision 2030.â€

Leiming Chen, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer of Ant International, said: “The MoU is another important step in Ant International’s journey to build cross-sector partnerships with regional industry leaders in supporting º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s digital economy agenda.â€

“WorldFirst and Ant International are honored to support the mission of Abdul Latif Jameel Finance to provide diversified financial and digital services for MSMEs in the Middle East, †said Clara Shi, CEO of WorldFirst. “Joining our innovative fintech capabilities with Abdul Latif Jameel Finance’s expertise and ecosystem, we look forward to contributing to regional trade and commerce as º£½ÇÖ±²¥ embraces an exciting digital transformation.â€

With headquarters in Singapore and main operations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, Ant International provides global wallet gateway, global merchant payment services, unified global account services, and embedded finance services through its major brands Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst, and Bettr. In 2025, Ant International opened its first Middle East office in Riyadh and will integrate Alipay+ with º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s national payment scheme, mada, in 2026.

The MoU aims to better serve º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s retail and MSME customers, leveraging a combination of ALJ Finance’s reach in the Kingdom and Ant International’s digital technologies.