Saudi Arabian Airlines signs SAP project

Saudi Arabian Airlines has announced a major deployment of SAP solutions, to improve processes and help the airline to manage its newly diverged business units.

The project will begin in January, with the roll out of financial management due for completion by June next year. This will be followed by HR and payroll management, to be in place by January 2009, with maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) systems deployed by May 2009.

The airline has nine separate operating units - catering, cargo, ground handling, technical service, flight academy, medical services and religious, royal and VIP airlines - and wanted to put in place applications to drive the management of each.

Khalid Almolhem, director general, Saudi Arabian Airlines commented: "As each of our strategic units has its own unique business model and competitive demands, we needed a business and IT infrastructure that empowers them to optimize and expand core activities flexibly and profitably. SAP presented proven industry expertise and a compelling vision for the future. With SAP, we gain the business process platform that will bring new efficiencies to each unit and unprecedented flexibility to evolve as business demands change."

The deployment project will be headed by SAP partner SAP Arabia, as part of a consortium including Atos Origin Middle East, FuelQuest, InfoTrust, Lufthansa Systems, Sun Microsystems, STME and Utopia. "This agreement is the result of a successful partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines in bringing the best products and services to one of the leading companies in the Middle East," said Essam Enany, president, SAP Arabia. "It highlights our company's efforts to extend its offerings by expanding its products and services to further develop the SAP market in the Middle East."

Sergio Maccotta, managing director, SAP Middle East and North Africa said: "Saudi Arabian Airlines is one of the leading companies in the Middle East that is choosing SAP to transform its business network and evolve its business model. This agreement underlines our success and potential in helping companies in the region continually evolve and better compete locally and on the global market, demonstrating the business value of our global reach and deep understanding of industry and local market demands."