As part of its efforts to lead the digitalisation of the food and beverage sector in Saudi Arabia, Almarai is investing in new technologies and strategic partnerships with technology giants.
With the growing Middle Eastern populations and evolving consumer demands, the company recognises the need to adopt digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to optimise its operations, and continue offering quality products and customer experiences.
Its partnership with Google Cloud comprises two key components — migration of its SAP workloads and sales application.
By moving these critical systems to Google Cloud, Almarai looks to gain access to a “scalable, flexible, and cost-effective platform”.
According to the company, the benefits of leveraging cloud computing include enhanced operational efficiency, accelerated innovation, scalability and growth, seamless integration, and data sovereignty.
“Google Cloud’s robust, secure, and reliable infrastructure ensures that Almarai can operate with confidence and achieve peak performance. The platform facilitates the rapid development and deployment of new applications and services, enabling us to respond to evolving market needs swiftly and effectively.
“The platform’s inherent scalability allows Almarai to accommodate ambitious growth, optimise resource allocation, and support future expansion,” the company said in a statement.
In addition, the “seamless integration” between Almarai’s existing systems, Google Cloud and even those of other cloud providers could streamline key processes by connecting analytics and automation tools.
Through hosting data on the platform, the company also ensures its compliance with local regulations while maintaining complete control and ownership of its data.
“Almarai’s global aspirations demand agile technologies and superior customer experiences in order to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving FMCG industry. Google Cloud’s world-class infrastructure and advanced technologies will provide us with the foundation we need to achieve our strategic objectives and deliver exceptional value to our customers,” said Dr Faisal Al-Nasser, Head of Enterprise Information Technology at Almarai.
The increased utilisation of digital technologies is aimed at providing new experiences for consumers, such as e-commerce and mobile payment options, as well as training of employees.
At the same time, data and analytics would help the company gain better insights on consumer needs and behaviour to drive new product development and improve marketing strategies.
Founded in 1977, Almarai claims to be the world’s largest vertically integrated dairy company, and the region’s biggest food and beverage manufacturer and distributor.
In 2023, the company reported net income of SAR2.05bn (USD545m) on sales of SAR19.575bn (USD5.2bn).
Beyond dairy, it has diversified its portfolio to include juices and beverages, bakery, poultry, infant formula, dates, fish, and seafood products under 21 brands.
Almarai revealed that it will soon launch a new brand in the red meat sector to enhance food security in Saudi Arabia, in line with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 government programme.
