Procurement Goes Digital Across the Middle East with SAP Ariba

Innovation is in full swing across the Middle East. Technology startups like car service Careem and restaurant reservation service ReserveOut are changing the game for consumers. The government is building state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the region’s growth. Even procurement is getting in the game as leading companies across the region embrace solutions from SAP Ariba to drive a simpler, more efficient process that’s fueling business innovation and growth.

Take Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest energy company. As part of its digital transformation strategy, Aramco is teaming with SAP and SAP Ariba to build an online marketplace through which it can connect and collaborate with thousands of suppliers on everything from sourcing and orders through invoices and payments in real time. The marketplace will provide a consumer-like experience through which corporate purchases can be quickly and efficiently made in compliance with company policies.

Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG), one of the top four companies in the Arab world according to Forbes Middle East, has modernized its procure-to-pay system, replacing several point applications with SAP Ariba’s single, integrated platform which it will use alongside its SAP ERP system to drive a more transparent and collaborative sourcing process. The platform has to date delivered significant savings across key categories.

And Gulf News, the top ranked newspaper in UAE, recently announced that it will leverage SAP Ariba’s cloud-based sourcing solutions and business network to discover, connect and more efficiently transact with its global suppliers and improve its bottom line.

“The media business has become increasingly competitive as consumers expect instant access to information at their fingertips. To deliver on their expectations, we must take a digital approach to everything – including procurement,” said Marclino Fernandes, Head of IT, Service Delivery, Gulf News. “With SAP Ariba, we can create an efficient digital process for managing all of our spend and trading relationships that delivers the savings, efficiencies and innovation we need to maintain our market advantage.”  

More than three million companies – including over 1,000 in the Middle East – currently use SAP Ariba’s solutions to unify procurement and transform their operations.

“Technology is fundamentally altering the way that businesses operate,” said Paul Devlin, General Manager, SAP Ariba EMEA. “Middle Eastern companies like ESAG, Saudi Aramco, and Gulf News are at the forefront of this digital transformation, leveraging cutting-edge solutions to change the way buying and selling get done. SAP Ariba stands behind them and will continue to deliver innovations that enable them to push the limits of what is possible and make procurement awesome.”

To learn more about SAP Ariba’s solutions and the value they can deliver, visit www.ariba.com.