Flying high
Project partners
Flying high Written by: Lucy Dixon Produced by: Craig Daniels
3
HQ in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Airlines’ ambitious plans for growth would not be possible without an innovative approach to technology
4
S
tarting out with a single airliner back in 1945, Saudi Arabian Airlines has grown to one of the world’s leading airlines, with over 30 million guests served by 45,000 employees in 5,000 locations across 100 destinations. And unlike many other airlines, the national carrier operates around the clock. Codenamed SV2020, the airline has a fiveyear strategic plan that aims to double the fleet size by 2020, grow the airlines’ market share, re-invent its products and services and increase its margins. The strategy was formulated and introduced by Director General Engineer Saleh
bin Naser Al Jasser - who joined the airlines in late 2014- to transform the company in every sense and to further secure its competitive positon regionally and globally as well. Eng. Al Jasser has started a corporate wide transformation program aimed at turning it from a legacy carrier to a competitive travel provider with second to none products and services. Pivotal to its place on the global stage is the role of information technology. Muhammad Ali Albakri, the company’s CFO and CIO, has been in charge of an enormous overhaul of its IT
Saudi Arabian Airlines aims to double the fleet size by 2020
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
5
SUPPLIER PROFILE
EMC
EMC is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver information technology as a service (ITaaS). Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset — information — in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. We work with organizations around the world, in every industry, in the public and private sectors, and of every size, from startups to the Fortune Global 500. Our customers include global money center banks and other leading financial services firms, manufacturers, healthcare and life sciences organizations, Internet service and telecommunications providers, airlines and transportation companies, educational institutions, and public-sector agencies. Website: saudi.emc.com
‘While we put in the new systems, we needed to maintain the old technology, the old network and the old applications, to continue supporting our business. So it was more like changing the wheel or the tire on a Formula 1 car while it’s still racing’
division, as he explains: “We have undertaken a huge programme called the IT Masterplan for Saudia, which lasted from 2007 until 2013. During that time we spent in excess of $1 billion upgrading our entire network inside the Kingdom and internationally. We’ve put in a complete new infrastructure in terms of telecommunications, connecting all our offices around the world to our upgraded data centre, our partners’ data centers, and created a disaster recovery centre as well on the other side of the country. We have created a modern IT base and implemented a converged network for data, voice and video, serving all the locations, all the offices, all our operations for the airlines and the other sister companies in Saudia Group as well.” And while all this was taking place it was, of w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
9
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES
SUPPLIER PROFILE
HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is an IT organization that helps its clients to develop more rapidly. With the most comprehensive technology and service portfolio in the IT industry, ranging from cloud to datacenter to workplace application, we support our clients worldwide to create more efficient, more productive, and more secure IT. Website: www.hpe.com 12
course, paramount that Saudia’s customers received the same fantastic service they were used to. Albakri says: “We replaced about 480 different enterprize application systems and while we put in the new platforms, we needed to maintain the old technology, the old network and the old applications, to continue supporting our business. So it was more like changing the wheel or the tyre on a Formula 1 car while it’s still racing!” It was a particularly complex undertaking never tried on that scale before in the aviation industry as the airline doesn’t have any down time, unlike European and American airlines which have night curfews. “We operate 24/7, which is a unique business model in aviation. Because of the diversity and the size of the Kingdom, and the amount of guests that we
The new luxurious interior of the Boeing 777 for optimum guest convenience
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
13
Sabre Airline Solutions Gives You The Freedom To Fly The Way You Want Sabre is proud to be a leading technology partner for Saudi Arabian Airlines, with many years of successful partnership. Sabre’s technology is powering the business of Saudia in Sabre Airline Solutions and the Sabre Airline Solutions logo are trademarks and / or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre.Š2015 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved. 10140 0915
commercial and operational areas and is helping Saudia better market and sell its products, provide superior service to its customers and stakeholders and conduct its operations in the most effective way. We look forward to continuing to serve the needs of Saudia and support its continued growth and success as a leading carrier in the Middle East and the world.
‘All seats are equipped with special monitors that may reach up to 23” in some aircrafts. A remote control will provide you with complete flexibility for your personal entertainment during the trip.’
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
15
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES
Is your data center / future ready?/
Are you ready for up to
/ future ready / Scale
x 10
faster
online transactions?*
Are you ready for up to
/ future ready / Speed
% 99
faster
configuration time?**
Are you ready for up to
/ future ready / Save
% 80
Compression of total storage?***
Get started at Dell.com/datacenter #OneDell
Intel, and the Intel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. *
Based on Principled Technologies report Database performance and resiliency on the Dell PowerEdge R630 running Microsoft SQL Server 2014, September 2014, commissioned by Dell, comparing Dell's 13th generation R630 with 8x2.5� HDD to a 13th generation R630 with 24x1.8� SSD both running Microsoft SQL Server 2014. Actual performance will vary based on configuration, usage and manufacturing variability. ** Based on Principled Technologies report 'Simplifying systems management with Dell OpenManage on 13G Dell PowerEdge servers', commissioned by Dell, September 2014, testing Dell's 13th generation R730 with Enterprise-level Dell systems management. As compared to manual configuration. *** With Dell's perpetual software licensing. Based on a 60TB system growing at an estimated 30% per year with an ownership period of 10 years.
16
carry and the extent of our domestic networks, we have to carry on operating around the clock to be able to meet the demand.” Time wasn’t the only challenge for Albakri’s team in implementing such an ambitious upgrade. At the same time as integrating all the new platforms, Saudia also decided to restructure the entire IT division. He explains: “We set it up as a shared service provider for Saudia Group, so we reorganised and restructured the entire organisation. We acquired all the niche technical skills and competencies we needed to have this division really perform its activity as a shared service provider based on servicelevel agreements with the various business units. So by transforming IT, not only from a
‘Innovation requires time, investment and patience. You cannot consider it as a project; you’ve got to let these people have their own time’ Saleh bin Naser Al Jasser, Director General Engineer
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
17
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES
Clear skies ahead Enhancing the customer experience while improving profitability is the goal of every airline around world. That’s why today’s visionary flight operators like Saudi Arabian Airlines partner with Jeppesen to deploy the latest technologies into their operations. We thank Saudi Arabian Airlines for their unwavering partnership on this journey toward innovation. We wish them only clear skies and tailwinds.
Boeing Commercial Aviation Services partners with airlines around the world to provide them a competitive edge by solving real operational problems, enabling better decisions, maximizing efficiency and improving environmental performance – creating intelligent information solutions across the aviation ecosystem. Jeppesen is a Boeing company.
Loyalty lounge for business and first class guests
technology point of view but also the business model, we managed to set the division up to become a commercial provider for the group.” But technology does not sit still, Albakri acknowledges, so the transformation within the IT division is ongoing. “In our business we finish one cycle and then have to start another one,” he laughs. “Technology changes and trends change. And making ends meet in an airline is really very challenging so we can’t afford to have IT be a major cost contributor to the operating costs, so we continuously look for ways to improve our efficiency and improve our costs and deliver better products, and advanced products to enhance our guests experiences, improve our products and services, increase our revenues, optimize our operating costs
$$$ Saudia spent hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading its entire IT infrastructure
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
19
SITA IS THE WORLD’S LEADING SPECIALIST IN AIR TRANSPORT COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Airlines, airports, aircraft, ground handlers, governments, air cargo, aerospace, air navigation service providers and international organizations all use our information and communication technology (ICT) solutions, relying on SITA’s expertise to keep the wheels of the industry in motion.
INNOVATION Community Innovations AIRCOM Flight Tracker ATI Cloud iTravel Mobile App eAircraft Services
SITA Lab Beacon Registry Wearable Technology
Tel +41 22 747 6000 Fax +41 22 747 6110 Web www.sita.aero E-mail info@sita.aero – info.meia@sita.aero
and add true business values to the airlines.” And employing the right staff is a big part of delivering this, from attracting bright young minds to providing the appropriate training. Albakri says: “First of all, you have to create the ecosystem for it, you have to acquire the young educated minds, inspire them and create the environment so they could really come up with innovative solutions.” This is assisted by partnerships with our strategic technology partners so that Saudia can take the latest and greatest technological breakthroughs (i.e disruptive technologies) and see how could they be applied to the business. “Innovation requires time, investment and patience. You cannot consider it as a project; you’ve got to let these people have their own time. You have to let them think. So we attract
Muhammad Ali Albakri - CIO and CFO
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
21
Over 750 professionals of culturally aware workforce
Successfully delivering complex and large scale IT projects to over 150 enterprises
2nd largest IT Services and Solutions company in the Saudi Market
6 offices and a network of various channel partners covering the rest of the region
EJADA is a leading IT services & solutions provider in the Middle East & North Africa enabling enterprises in banking and finance, telecommunication, transportation, health, government and oil and gas sectors to maintain their competitive edge in today’s dynamic market.
Tel +966 (11) 4722277 | Fax +966 (11) 4724772 info@ejada.com | www.ejada.com Head Office, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, P.O. Box 55471, Riyadh 11534
the best and the brightest from universities from within and outside the Kingdom and we put them through very generous training programmes, some of them extend to two to three years, and we provide them with the necessarily environment to be able to produce and be contributing members of the Saudi Arabian Airlines Group.” And these opportunities are not restricted to male employees, as Albakri explains: “We made the decision about eight or nine years ago really to introduce more and more women into our workforce in IT. For instance, our SAP Centre of Excellence is half staffed by young Saudi ladies who have been trained and certified to work with SAP technologies, our entire IT helpdesk is now run by women. And we are expanding our team for mobile and tablet development, with a large number of female staff.” The brightest staff – men and women – are recruited and retained by this impressive approach to staff development, says Albakri. “The benefits that we offer, the continuous training, the challenges and exciting types of programmes or projects that they are involved on really makes the job very attractive for them to
‘We made the decision about eight or nine years ago to introduce more and more women into our workforce in IT’
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
23
AIRPORT TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATORS FOR THE 21st CENTURY OUR SERVICES
ABOUT US ICAD is the leading provider of airport integration services in the Middle East. Our areas of expertise include: Information and Communication Technology Systems, Passenger Processing Systems, Air Traffic Control Systems, Security and Safety Systems, Special and Ancillary Systems, Building Controls and Automation Systems, Lighting Systems, and Passenger Boarding Systems.
With our highly expertise team we are proficient of delivering the even most complex multiple-system and multiple-vendor installations with the best competitive edge technology requirements to a highest level of standars and expectations starting from engineering, design, installation, commissioning, operation and including maintenance. With our sophisticated in house testing and pre-staging facilities before on site installation and integration, we maintain our reputation by completing the projects on schedule.
ICAD Headquarters | Sary Road and Khalidiya Street | Building Jeddah 101, Floor 7 | PO Box Jeddah 117188 | Jeddah, KSA-21391 www.icad.com Telephone: +966-12-616-6771 Fax: +966-12-616-6773 E-mail: info@icad.com
Amadeus is a world-class technology company dedicated to the global travel industry
Amadeus provides the technology which keeps the travel sector moving. Our ambition is to facilitate the entire travel journey from door-to-door and in the process improve the travel experience for hundreds of millions of people every year.
Let's shape the future of travel
We are proud and honoured to be Saudi Arabian Airlines’ main strategic partner for airline IT and distribution services. Amongst other key IT Amadeus solutions, Saudia is using the Amadeus e-Retail online airline booking system, the world’s most widely-used airline Internet booking engine, as well as the Amadeus Altéa Suite, a complete Passenger Service System that offers full reservation, inventory and departure control capabilities.
You can follow us on:
AmadeusITGroup amadeus.com
24
© 2015 Amadeus IT Group SA
Our people, technology and innovation are dedicated to working with our customers and partners to shape the future of travel.
stay on, and we of course do everything possible in our ability to make the job more like a career choice, to nurture their skills, and satisfies their personal development goals thereby securing a more productive and stable workforce..” A talented and committed workforce means that Saudia is well positioned to achieve its plans for growth. And to kick things off, the airline has acquired 50 additional new aircrafts to strengthen its domestic and regional capabilities and added more wide body aircrafts for the long haul routes (i.e. Boeing 777-300 & Boeing 787-9). Saudia will be taking its first delivery of the Dreamliner in at the same time as celebrating its 70th anniversary. Albakri says: “The aviation business is continuously changing and the Dreamliner is a very sophisticated aircraft. We call it a flying data centre actually by itself as it has more technology embedded into that aircraft than any other aircraft made by mankind.” So, naturally, the role of IT has extended to accommodate such an aircraft, in order to take full advantage of it and ensure proper operation, maintenance and support of the aircraft and its guests. He continues: “The Dreamliner is continuously connected to ground based systems, it’s continuously communicating the status of the engine, the status of the various components of the aircraft, to the ground systems to monitor and advise crews with information to help operate the aircraft more safely and with added conveniences to its guests. And then it is providing additional services that couldn’t be
The interior of the Boeing 777
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
25
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES Logopdf.pdf
1
11/16/1436 AH
5:09 PM
RUN SAMPLE
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
SAP is the world leader in enterprise applications in terms of software and softwarerelated service revenue. Based on market capitalization, we are the world’s third largest independent software manufacturer. SAP has more than 263,000 customers in 188 countries and more than 68,800 employees – and locations in more than 130 countries. SAP Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is recognized as one of the fastest growing markets for SAP globally and is a key investment area for the company. It has a complete portfolio of business solutions from ERP to Analytics and from Business Intellegence to Mobility and now moving everything into the cloud. Today, the company has more than 1200+ customers and continues to build capacity across the eco system with more than 1400 qualified SAP consultants and 132 business partners to support. For more information please visit our website www.sap.com/MENA or email us at info.mena@sap.com
IT Services Business Solutions Consulting
26
provided before, to guests, such as continuous connectivity to the internet, continuous ability to use their own devices and favourite content. There is a lot of sophisticated technology that this type of fleet is bringing with it, and we have upgraded our capabilities to work with it aiming to enhance our guests’ experiences .” The Dreamliner will be used on Saudia’s long haul routes, to Europe and Canada, and some of the Far East destinations will be supported as well. And it is just one of 110 new aircraft that will be integrated into operations totally by 2020 - 28 of those new aircraft will be received in one year – 2016. Such growth is needed for the airline to reach the 50 million guest goal by 2020. Albakri says: “The region where we exist and we operate is the fastest growing region so far as aviation
w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
27
Saudia Guests Services Center (CTO)
28
is concerned, the largest number of ordered aircraft worldwide is coming from the region, the largest percentage growth of airlines in the world is happening in the region, the largest travel hubs exist in the region such as King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) and King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) both of which are going through massive upgrades by adding new terminals to KKIA and totally rebuilding KAIA. So we exist in a very blessed region in terms of the business, in terms of growth, but also it comes with a very heated competition. So we have to continuously renew and advance our products
“The region where we exist and we operate is the fastest growing region so far as aviation is concerned”
and services and make sure that we stay as close as possible to our guest expectations, to be able to grow and capture our market share.” And none of this would be possible without the right infrastructure, as Albakri concludes: “Nothing would be possible really without having the right intelligence systems to be able to turn the company around very fast and enable it to absorb that many new aircraft and doubling the number of guests in a short period of time. It just would not be possible without the right technology in place.” w w w. s a u d i a i r l i n e s . c o m
29
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES Jeddah, Western Province Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 21231
Tel: +966 12 686 0660 prinfo@saudiairlines.com www.saudiairlines.com