Al Sayer Group Gears Up for Ambitious Tech-Driven Regional Expansion

Al Sayer Group to Become One of Region’s Most Operationally Cutting-Edge Conglomerates;

Wide-ranging Deal with SAP Includes Mobility Solutions and Kuwait’s First Deployment of Game-Changing Real-time Business Technology;

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait – May 07, 2014 - Al-Sayer Group, one of the largest and most respected conglomerates in the MENA region, today announced that it has bolstered its regional expansion plans with a host of cutting-edge business solutions from SAP.

The wide-ranging project encompasses all 32 of Al Sayer Group’s companies, positioning it as one of the most tech-enabled and innovative entities of its kind in the region.

The deal features a number of firsts.  Al Sayer Group will become the first company in Kuwait to implement Business Suite on HANA, which is the only solution in the world to combine transactional applications with analytics in-memory. It is also the first to adopt SAP Dealer Business Management for its automotive operations.

Other aspects of deal include a full range of mobility features, as well as solutions for Human Capital Management, Customer Relationship Management, Financial Accounting and Controlling, Supply Chain Management, Solutions Management, and Business Intelligence.

KPMG will work as the project’s systems integrator. SAP is also in discussions with Dhow Information Systems Co, a subsidiary of Al-Sayer Group of Companies, to become an authorised SAP value added reseller.

“We are expanding and diversifying rapidly in both Kuwait and the wider region. We have an ambitious, sustainable growth plan but its success is entirely reliant on data-driven intelligence in real-time, operational flexibility and, most crucially of all, innovation,” said Mubarak Al Sayer, CEO and board member of Al Sayer Group.

“Innovation is in our DNA as a company, and we are always looking at new ways to improve our competitiveness and ability to the deliver world-class products and services our customers have come to expect. We are a big group but we need to move fast, with precision and without compromising on quality in any way. SAP gives us a new level of freedom, a distinct cutting-edge, and their solutions will be integral to our ongoing success across the region.”

Gergi Abboud, Managing Director – Gulf and Pakistan, SAP MENA, said: “Having worked closely with Al Sayer Group’s management behind the scenes, we know exactly what their demands are and how focused they are for the future. We are automating their entire value chain over the next three years, significantly improving their ability to expand with speed and achieve new levels of business insight. Al Sayer Group has as long history that has been driven by visionary leadership and a willingness to adapt to improve. SAP is proud to be asked to help play a part in what promises to be a huge exciting new chapter of expansion and success.”

Now in its 60th year, Al-Sayer Group’s business interests currently include automotive sales and services, heavy equipment, foodstuffs, soft drinks, animal feed and financial services.

The company took off when Al Sayer became the first businessman from the Middle East to visit the Toyota Motor Company in Japan in 1954. A year later, he brought Toyota to Kuwait, and in 1956 the company became a Toyota distributor for several countries in the Middle East.