SAP grows customer footprint in the UAE

Etihad Aviation Group and Al Dahra have adopted SAP Ariba solutions to transform their procurement processes.

Etihad adopted SAP Ariba to consolidate procurement operations to reduce negotiation cycle time, improve user experience and introduce e-invoicing with suppliers.

According to the company, it achieved double-digit cost savings, significantly reduced its vendor count, and awarded business to more local suppliers, with the first nine e-auctions.

Al Dahra needed storage options for grain in desert conditions. After posting its sourcing needs on SAP Ariba Discovery, the Dubai-based agribusiness received in under three days 142 inquiries from suppliers around the world. An online auction created a 15 per cent price reduction, the company says.

“One of the key reasons why we have opted for SAP Ariba was the power of its network — the ability to source suppliers in different countries is unique. And for us, it’s quite important on a strategic level. It gives us a lot of assurance and it helps us to comply with the growing demands of the business,” said Mohamad Saker, chief corporate services, Al Dahra.

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With SAP SuccessFactors software, Al Dahra has also centralised, standardised and streamlined human resources (HR) functions for more than 5,000 employees in 20 countries. The company now has a fully digital payroll in 13 countries.

“As the Middle East faces significant supply chain disruption and changes in consumer demand, Etihad Airways and Al Dahra are demonstrating how the acceleration of digital transformation contributes to ensuring that businesses survive and thrive not only during the pandemic but beyond,” said Claudio Muruzabal, SAP president Middle East, Africa, and Southern Europe.