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Saudi Arabia's Most admired Companies in 2021 | June 2021.
1. vol 06
ISSUE 02
Tech Timeline
The Evolu on
of Robo cs
Jamjoom
Pharma
Redefining Quality and Innovation while
Achieving Global Success
SAUDI
ARABIA’S
MOST ADMIRED
COMPANIES IN
2021
Mr. Noor Sheriff
Co-Founder and CEO
#Trendsplaining
What exactly is
Guerrilla Marke ng?
– Decoding the
controversial
marke ng approach
2.
3.
4. The business culture in Saudi Arabia is
witnessing a seismic change with the
government opening doors and
encouraging non-oil businesses through its vibrant
schemes.
The Kingdom is adapting to the new world changes
and is asserting its position in the global business
world. Its consistently vibrant economic growth is
its unique selling point (USP) that has only helped
it to experiment in non-oil businesses.
Critical thinkers and change-makers are the youth
of the country who are making their presence felt
on the global map of businesses. Be it healthcare,
Information and Communication Technology
(ICT), manufacturing, retail or start-ups, e-
commerce, telecommunications, Saudi Arabia
promises tremendous potential besides its
traditional oil and tourism business.
The retail business in Saudi Arabia dates to around
2000 years back when Mecca was the hub of trade
and people from Arabian countries and the
neighbouring ones travelled for trade. The retail
EDITOR’S DESK
Advantage Saudi Arabia:
Leveraging Novel Opportunities
vol 06
ISSUE 02
#DigitalEverything
5 Things Small
Businesses Should Know
about Social Media
Marke ng
Jamjoom
Pharma
Redefining Quality and Innovation while
Achieving Global Success
SAUDI
ARABIA’S
MOST ADMIRED
COMPANIES IN
2021
Mr. Noor Sheriff
Co-Founder and CEO
Up&About
How to maintain a
produc ve environment
while within a remote team
5. outlets and supermarkets in Saudi Arabia are of a very
recent origin beginning from the last century.
Besides, the manufacturing sector is touted to become an
international hub and thereby reduce its economic
dependency on fossil fuels.
The Saudi Arabia government’s initiatives to promote
small and medium-sized enterprises will further diversify
the businesses in the country and consequently increase
the contribution towards the country’s economy from
diverse sectors. This is expected to increase the
contribution of SMEs to the gross domestic product from
20% to 35% by 2030.
The oil giant’s robust economic growth due to oil and
gas reserves, developing and expanding other businesses
is hardly a challenge for Saudi Arabia. The country has
become more open to non-oil businesses contributing
significantly to the GDP of the country. It is also
opening doors to global business houses and foreign
investments.
Entrepreneurship is also flourishing as it did never with
start-ups. More women are emerging in the entrepreneur
world of Saudi Arabia and, more women are also being
included in the workforce. The government is leaving no
stone unturned to realise its Vision 2030.
We, at Insights Success, selected some companies that
have travelled an extra mile to secure a global place for
themselves. We are sure you will enjoy reading our latest
edition - Saudi Arabia’s Most Admired Companies in
2021 to learn more about these extraordinary
entrepreneurs.
Have a great read!
Sumita Sarkar
6. COVER
STORY
Articles
Tech Timeline
The Evolution of Robotics
22
#Trendsplaining
What exactly is Guerrilla Marketing?
Decoding the controversial
marketing approach
32
Jamjoom Pharma
Redefining Quality and Innovation
while Achieving Global Success
08
7. Al Ain Farms
Upholding a Legacy of Quality
16
Circle K
Catering World Class Service
With High Quality Products
26
Jashanmal Group
A Legacy of Reliability, Empowering
the International Retail Sector
28
PayTabs
Enabling Businesses to Transact Online
with Ease and Safety
36
C O N T E N T S
9. Management Brief
Company Name
Laurent Guitart
CEO
Jamjoom Pharma
jamjoompharma.com
Jashanmal Group
jashanmalgroup.com
Al Ain Farms
alainfarms.com
Etisalat
etisalat.com
Circle K
circlek.ae
Al Ain Farms is UAE's first dairy, poultry, camel milk and juice
company.
Circle K has become one of the most widely recognized
convenience store brands, known worldwide for quality products
and great customer service.
Etisalat Group is one of the world’s leading telecom groups
in emerging markets.
Jamjoom Pharma has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities
which encapsulates the latest in manufacturing technology,
systems and business practices.
Jashanmal Group today is a corporation with multi-channel
activities in the GCC and India with headquarters in the UAE.
Willem Van
Walt Meijer
Chief Executive
Hatem Dowidar
Group CEO
Mr. Noor Sheriff
Co-founder and CEO
Khaled Soliman
CEO
LuLu Group International
ae.lulumea.com
Zid
zid.sa
Jumeirah
jumeirah.com
Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts is a well-established luxury hotel
company, which has had a distinct impact on the global
hospitality market for the past two decades.
LuLu Group International today is a highly diversified entity
with operations spanning a vast geographical landscape.
Zid is an e-commerce in a box - solution that any retailer can
use to start their eRetail.
José Silva
Chief Executive Officer
Sainula Shamim
Director
Abdullah Aljuma
Marketing Manager
Paytabs
paytabs.com
PayTabs is an award winning, B2B, payments solutions
powerhouse founded by Saudi entrepreneur Abdulaziz Al Jouf.
Abdulaziz Al Jouf
Founder and CEO
Nuyu
nuyu-ksa.com
nuyu’s mission is to offer women the opportunity to show their
support– be it for their college, favorite movie character,
sporting event or hobby.
Princess Sara Al Saud
Head of Marketing
10. Jamjoom
Pharma
Redefining Quality and Innovation while Achieving
Global Success
Our prime focus has
been on building
core manufacturing
competencies to
ensure that each
Jamjoom Pharma
product reflects
world-class quality.
“
“
The ambition for achieving excellence is what drives
any company to zeniths. This excellence could
encompass—but not limited to—delivering
unparalleled service to its customers, innovating products
that add value to the users, or prioritizing on saving the
environment.
With excellence being at the crux of their mission, the
companies featured in this edition titled, Saudi Arabia's
Most admired Companies in 2021, exhibit true potential to
spark a paradigm shift in the ways that industries and
markets will function.
One prominent name among such companies is Jamjoom
Pharma, a world-class research-driven and globally
recognized leading pharmaceutical company. The company
has, in a very short span of time, emerged as one of the
leading pharmaceutical companies in the Afrasia region.
Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals was established to provide high-
quality healthcare and wellness products at competitive
prices for consumers' benefit. The company strives to set
the highest quality standards in everything it does and
continuously endeavor to make its name and image
synonymous with quality and integrity.
The cornerstone of Jamjoom Pharma was laid on the
philosophy of Think globally, act locally. The central idea
revolves around learning new technologies, ideas, concepts,
11. C O V E R S T O R Y
Mr. Noor Sheriff Co-founder and CEO
|
12. and models and making use of this
knowledge to improve the company's
local capabilities, expertise, capacities,
and skills to produce better product
offerings.
The leadership team at Jamjoom
Pharma believes that the primary
responsibility of an organization is to
create value for customers and
stakeholders. In this sense, the
company considers itself fortunate to
have painstakingly built teams that are
committed, result-oriented, and believe
in the organization's vision and
mission.
"Our prime focus has been on building
core manufacturing competencies to
ensure that each Jamjoom Pharma
product reflects world-class quality;
these standards are expected to meet
established international companies'
challenges. We attribute our
remarkable success in the marketplace
firstly to the world-class quality and
efficacy of our products, comparable to
the best in the industry and secondly to
our people," says Mr. Noor Sheriff,
the Co-Founder and CEO.
Exemplary Expertise
The co-founder of Jamjoom Pharma
and visionary leader Mr. Noor Sheriff
is a seasoned authority on strategy,
business development, and
We recorded the highest growth
compared to the last five years, but we
also managed to maintain a safe and
secure environment for our employees
to feel confident and give their 100% in
such testing times
“ “
Saudi Arabia's Most admired Companies in 2021
13. management, coupled with excellent
leadership, communications, and team-
building skills with over 50 years of
experience.
Mr. Sheriff is a consistent demonstrator
of adapting problem-solving
techniques and high-performance
modulators across multiple
departments and markets. He has
always had a keen interest and
expertise in the pharma industry
trajectory over the past five decades,
allowing for a high proficiency in the
sector.
Mr. Sheriff started his career in sales
and marketing in the early '70s at
Allergan. After moving through all the
organizational hierarchy layers, he left
Allergan but not before leading five
successful years as Vice
President/Managing Director of such a
world-renowned organization.
In the year 2000, Mr. Sheriff helped
establish the structure of Jamjoom
Pharma. He has thus naturally amassed
the credit for hiring the right team to
carry out Jamjoom Pharma's vision,
which is now rated as the 'fastest-
growing and top-ranked
pharmaceutical company' in Saudi
Arabia. Along with his team of
dedicated members, he has ensured the
formation of various operating
committees and executive teams and
their successful implementation.
Following are some highlights of his
profound career at Jamjoom Pharma:
Ÿ Established Jamjoom Pharma from
its conceptual stage; Hired the 'right
team' to carry out the vision of
Jamjoom Pharma.
Ÿ Leading cross-functional teams to
plan, build, launch, and manage
world class innovations.
Ÿ Managing over 30 countries across
Middle East, Africa, and Central
Asia.
Ÿ Overseeing various Operating
Committees and Executive teams.
st
Ÿ Built the 1 soft gel facility in the
country.
Ÿ Established a state-of-the-art R&D
center with over 100 top class
scientists, several PhD holders who
have developed over 230 products
(and over 100 are in the pipeline).
Ÿ Guided Jamjoom Pharma as a
Specialty Product line company
operating in JP Ophtha, JP Derma,
JP GIT, JP Cardio-Vascular
medicine, JP CNS, JP Nutra, adding
over a tenfold capacity across many
lines.
Ÿ Maintained a high standard of
performance for the product line. In
a concise period, three of our
Specialty lines attained #1 rank as
per IMS, and many of our products
are among the Top 3 in the segment
they operate.
Ÿ Mentored the team responsible for
establishing Jamjoom Academy, an
institute responsible for training
and developing young Saudis in
several functions of Pharmaceutical
manufacturing.
Ÿ Contracted joint venture
relationships with pharmaceutical
manufacturers in
Ÿ Established a 100% owned
Pharmaceutical manufacturing
company in Egypt.
Overcoming Adversities
The team at Jamjoom Pharma believes
14. that COVID-19 has impacted the
global economy like never before; the
overall impact was crueler than
anticipated. The consequence of this
pandemic for some industries,
especially airlines and hospitality, was
catastrophic.
"Fortunately for the health care sector,
the effect was not that significant,
especially for the local manufacturer
due to the inelastic demand. We have
anticipated this as an opportunity. We
knew that to capitalize on this
opportunity, we must put ourselves in
order, plan diligently and execute to
perfection," the team expressed.
Mr. Sheriff and his team also states that
during the pandemic, pharmaceutical
products' imports had drastically
reduced, giving local manufacturers an
outside opportunity to replenish the
market demand by locally
manufactured products.
"This pandemic period, without a
doubt, has been unlike any we have
ever experienced, with challenges
unlike any we have faced, but with
perseverance, immaculate planning,
and impeccable execution, we have
managed to convert this challenge into
an opportunity. We recorded the
highest growth compared to the last
five years, but we also managed to
maintain a safe and secure
environment for our employees to feel
confident and give their 100% in such
testing times," the team added.
Jamjoom Pharma currently has an
ongoing expansion in Egypt and
Algeria and envisions these sites to be
fully operational by the end of 2022.
One of the significant elements of
Jamjoom Pharma's success is targeting
the specialty line since its inception.
"We will continue exploring them and
discovering different specialty lines
where we are currently not present,"
Mr. Sheriff concluded.
Bequeathing Invaluable Wisdom
We asked Mr. Sheriff for his views on
how the adoption of modern
technologies such as AI, big data and
machine learning have transformed the
healthcare industry and what more
could be expected in the near future, to
which he said, "All three things
mentioned above are in the early
adoption phase, but I am sure they
have a long way to go in the years to
come. I am sure these technologies will
become a necessity."
"Whether from computer-aided drug
designing to simple marketing and
sales, or to know customer insight to
fine-tune and develop product liking
and market requirements, everywhere
AI, big data, and machine learning will
have a prominent & significant role to
play. The concept of big data is not
new. With the emergence of artificial
intelligence, I am sure this big data will
improve production efficiency,
customer satisfaction and help bring
down production costs in the health
care industry," he added.
Sharing his advice to the budding
“
“
My goal has
only been to
try and bring
out the best in
every team
member to
define them,
refine them,
and be their
best selves as
individuals and
professionals.
15. Corporation 2020 2021 MAT
Grand Total
SPIMACO* 1 1
TABUK 2 2
JAMJOOM PHARMA* 3 3
GLAXOSMITHKLINE* 4 4
HIKMA PLC 5 5
SANOFI 7 6
NESTLE* 6 7
NOVARTIS 8 8
ASTRAZENECA* 10 9
PFIZER* 9 10
entrepreneurs who aspire to venture
into the healthcare space, Mr. Sheriff
said, "I have always believed in aiming
higher, setting standards that are above
the mark. My goal has only been to try
and bring out the best in every team
member to define them, refine them, &
be their best selves as individuals and
professionals. I have lived my life by
certain values and principles. As a
'leader' my role was to promote those
very values instill them among many
of my team members.”
"For new entrepreneurs, I will advise
them to be confident and visualize the
big picture of what they would like to
achieve and remain focus. They should
remain steadfast and not to give in to
shortcuts when tested. I would strongly
encourage them to select their team
assiduously & diligently because, in
the end, it is people that matter," he
adds.
Exhibiting Unparalleled Excellence
Following is Jamjoom Pharma's performance as per the latest data
available with IQVIA. IQVIA is a third-party data analyzer and a world
leader in using data technology and advanced analytics. It has the
expertise in helping customers drive healthcare.
rd
As per IQVIA, Jamjoom has been recognized as the 3 largest and one
of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical product manufacturers in Saudi
Arabia.As per IQVIA, the company is number 2 prescribed company in
Saudi Arabia.
Apart from this, during 2020, Frost & Sullivan, a business consulting
firm involved in market research and analysis, recognizes Saudi
Arabia-headquartered Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals with the 2020 KSA
Company of the Year Award for its operational excellence and
expanded product portfolio and footprint.
Additionally, during the recently concluded GCC BEST EMPLOYER
BRAND AWARDS - 2020, organized by GCC Employer Branding
Institute, Jamjoom Pharmaceutical company has won GCC's Best
Emerging Employer Brand Award and Dream Company to Work
for – Pharmaceutical Sector.
We attribute our
remarkable
success in the
marketplace firstly
to the world-class
quality and
efficacy of our
products,
comparable to the
best in the
industry, and
secondly to our
people
“
“
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Toufic Kreidieh | Chief Executive Officer
UAE's Best
Retail
Companies
2021
Acknowledging Change
Cashier-less stores:
the next big step for
the retail industry
Timeless Tech
The impact of
modern technology
on the retail sector
2021
vol 04
ISSUE 07
17.
18. Upholding a Legacy of Quality
company in the UAE, running four
farms under its brand – the dairy
business, the juice business, the camel
milk production, and the poultry
section with fresh chicken and eggs.
All products are produced in Al Ain,
the heart of the UAE, and delivered to
all regions daily, serving more than
13,000 outlets nation – wide and
delivering close to 20 million units
millions of fresh, long life dairy and
poultry products monthly to the United
Arab Emirates. The company has
always had and will continue to have a
pivotal role for enabling the food
security of the country.
Tell us about your company’s
offerings, and how you have
ascertained your stronghold within
Middle East?
The core competencies of the company
lie in the strong brand reputation
achieved across decades of operations
in the country, further enchased with
availability of the products across all
regions.
The reach and coverage in UAE are
sometimes difficult to achieve as cold
chain in dairy must not be interrupted
at any time, and the fleet over 270
vehicles, and thousand people almost
never sleeps as fresh products are
delivered 24/7 to more than 13,000
outlets daily.
The proximity of the farms to factory
being in the same site compound
enables us to ensure a straight promise
of farms delivery within 24 hours from
farm to customer, ensuring the fresh,
tasty, safe, wholesome, and healthy
food.
Amongst many products, the core is
the fresh milk – naturally pure,
nutrient-rich, fresh, and healthy,
available in multiple fat levels options
and several package sizes. Company
also produces a significant volume of
long – life milk packed in paper
cartons, enabling fresh milk to be
preserved longer, without addition of
any preservatives.
Quite a large consumption category of
fermented products, consisting of
Laban (drinkable yoghurt) and thick
yoghurt, and it offers a support for both
good digestion and immune system
benefits, by having an addition of the
probiotic strains, LGG and BB12
which work in parallel to support and
boost the health of consumer.
The NO sugar fresh juice is available
in eleven different flavors for
everyone’s taste. Living in a hot and
humid climate, fresh juice is an ideal
refreshment and energy recovery,
especially during the summer season.
The company is the first local UAE
company to offer a fresh juice range
without any sugar to the consumers in
UAE.
The only food company to nurture both
the cows and camels at its farms, Al
Ain Farms takes a special pride in
Ayearning for excellence and
an unshakeable commitment
towards delivering nothing but
the best quality products is what makes
Al Ain Farms one of the most
prominent brands in the Middle East.
In our endeavor to bring into spotlight
Saudi Arabia’s Most Admired
Companies, crossing paths with a
significant company such as Al Ain
Farms was inevitable. Having been in
operations for more than 40 years and
sustaining its legacy and promise of
delivering the finest food products is
what makes the company a people’s
favorite.
In the following interview, Willem van
Walt Meijer, the CEO of Al Ain
Farms, shares a few valuable insights
into the company’s position as a leader
in the food and beverages market and
his future vision for the company.
Below are the highlights of the
interview:
Please brief our audience about your
company, its values, and its journey
so far.
Founded in 1981 by the Father of the
Nation, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan
Al Nayhan, Al Ain Farms was the first
dairy company in the UAE to start the
dairy operations and provide access to
fresh milk to the nation.
Continuing the heritage for close to 40
years now, Al Ain Farms has grown to
be the largest integrated local dairy
Saudi Arabia's Most admired Companies in 2021
16| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
19. About the Leader
Willem Van Walt Meijer,
Chief Executive Officer, Al Ain
Farms is a Dutch national.
Following several positions in
Marketing and Sales at
Unilever in the Netherlands,
Willem and his family lived in
Indonesia, Ireland, and Russia
where he held a series of director
positions in Unilever operating
companies.
After 21 years working in the world of
Unilever, Willem headed to new challenges. He
was CEO of the Greenery, a co-operative of fresh
produce growers, and then headed the Classic Dairy
& Cheese division of Friesland Foods, a co-operative
of dairy farmers.
He served as the CEO of MidOceanBrands and was a member of the board
at Polyconcept Ltd (US), from which he became Hong Kong-based
Managing Director of the company’s international division.
Mr. Willem was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Al Ain Farms in early
2020. He is leading Al Ain Farms on its continued journey towards becoming
a major player in the UAE food industry, guided by the UAE leadership’s
strategic initiatives to ensure the food security of the country.
Mr. Willem works hand in hand with the management team, which consists
of the representatives from all business divisions of dairy and poultry, brand
development & concept innovation, sales & logistics, and support functions.
Al Ain Farms has continued to operate
seamlessly during the challenging times,
increasing its capacity to produce locally
made, fresh products delivered daily across
the UAE.
“ “
17| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
20. offering the Camel Milk, both locally
and internationally in fresh and powder
variant.
Camel Milk has a high amount of
healthy unsaturated fatty acids, higher
calcium, vitamins and minerals and it
is a good contribution to the strong
bones, and overall good health of the
immune system. Known as the ‘natural
pharmacy’, due to many health benefits
it contains, can be consumed also by
lactose intolerant people.
Over 8 million chickens and 120
million eggs are produced annually in
Al Ain Farms and delivered to
households across the country. Free
from antibiotics, and any hormones,
meat is produced in whole chicken and
other varieties such as Lean Fillet,
Drumsticks, and multiple pack options.
Eggs come in different size of small,
medium, and large, and are the most
tasty and nutritional source of protein
in daily diet.
Taking into consideration, the
current pandemic, and its impact on
global economies, how are you
driving your company to sustain
operations and ensuring safety of
your employees at the same time?
Al Ain Farms has continued to operate
seamlessly during the challenging
times, increasing its capacity to
produce locally made, fresh products
delivered daily across the UAE. The
core functions of farming, production
and sales remained operational 24
hours throughout the whole year to
ensure continuity of supply, and we
have tirelessly undertaken all necessary
measures to prevent any health
breaches at our farms. Daily checks are
conducted, and all employees remain
safe and healthy.
Our operational readiness and crisis
protocol were key in making sure the
18| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
21. health of our employees and business
continuity were safeguarded. It was a
learning, but responsive and quick
implementations, such as the opening
of Al Ain Farms’ Care center in
Sharjah for quarantine and medical
security, and the rehousing of 600
employees, meant that we were able to
continue business as usual.
We implemented hard zone site where
no one could enter from outside to
ensure full biosecurity. Admittance to
site is only granted after a negative test
result was issued and one-week
quarantine completed.
Rigorous testing and a phased
approach to working from home
undoubtedly were key in preserving
the welfare of our employees.
Safeguarding our partners and
suppliers were also a key priority for
us and we implemented a protocol with
immediate effect, securing minimum
impact along the supply chain.
In first quarter of 2021, we have
vaccinated all our staff on voluntary
basis with a newly developed vaccine
for Covid response, as company utmost
priority is the health, safety and well –
being of all its employees, biosecurity
of the animal livestock, and quality of
products and operations.
What would be your advice to
budding entrepreneurs who aspire to
venture into the market that your
company is catering to?
Advice would be to go into something
where demand exists, but supply is
lacking, or a step change can be
improved. Big current market is nice to
know, but it is not interesting if you
bring the same. Fast experimentation to
scrutinize at low risk and low cost your
product and business system should
always work. In food industry, habits
change relatively slow due to being
engrained into culture, so planning for
low pace scenario is needed, so we
could be investing into growth.
Finally, for all is that we should be
coming with novel ideas of concepts
and technology often found far from
the place of core operations. Reason is
that differentiation is everything, but
potential lies in adapting the local
needs and operational requirements.
How do you envision scaling your
company’s operations and offerings
in 2021?
I believe the trend towards greater
local production is clear, not just for
reasons of self-sufficiency, but also
because of the economic boost it can
provide.
Al Ain Farms continues to stress the
availability, affordability, and
outstanding quality of locally made
products. All with a relentless attitude
of continuous improvement in all we
do.
We are confident that the continued
support we receive from the
government on the farming part will
further enhance the scale of the local
output and ensure a fair level playing
field for all local manufacturers within
our sectors.
We also aim to work more closely with
our retail partners to customize shelves
and packaging to communicate the
benefits of locally made and benefits of
our products for consumers.
19| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
22.
23.
24. The
Evolutionof
01 | MM 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
ROBOTICS
ROBOTICS
echnology today has reached
Theights that we couldn’t have
comprehended even a few
decades ago. Since the dawn of
modern technology, humans have been
in awe and admiration of the marvels
that technology is capable of and,
somewhere been a little anxious about
the kind of power technology holds.
This fear arises somewhere from the
films that have mostly depicted robots
as these machines which take over the
world one day and eradicate humanity
from the face of the earth. These
movies, at best, succeeded in creating a
fantasy AI and scaring humans into
thinking what the future technology
might have in the bag for them.
Though in reality today, we see a
different picture than what had been
predicted or fantasized about by all of
us. The following article will try to
gauge and summarize how robotics has
evolved over the years and, if anything,
has only made human life easier.
22| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
25. Tech Timeline
02 | MM 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
23| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
26. First robot of the world
The idea of automata has been around for a long time now.
Prominent innovators from across the world have
experimented with a bunch of prototypes to finally come up
with their respective versions of machines resembling very
closely with the idea of robots.
After a lot of experimentation, the world’s very first robot
came into existence in 1954. This robot was built by George
Devol, an American inventor. The robot was named
Unimate and was the first commercial, programmable, and
digital robot. This robot was later sold to General Motors in
1961, where it had the job of lifting hot metal pieces from
die casting machines.
Modern robots
Since its evolution, there have been a ton of new
developments in the world of robotics. It has contributed to
the industrialization process tremendously. The invention of
industrial robots has kept humans far away from dangerous,
menial, and repetitive jobs in the industry and shifted the
workforce to areas where human intellect and creativity are
required.
Similarly, service robots are used to aid humans by
performing services that are useful to the well-being of
humans and equipment. These are operated either semi or
fully autonomously.
Then came the educational (interactive) robots that aid
teachers in educating children. These robots were used for
the first time in the 1980s when turtles were used in
computer science and mechanical engineering training.
Now there are robot kits like Lego Mindstorms, BIOLOID,
OLLO, and ROBOTIS that can help children learn about
mathematics, programming, physics, and electronics.
Robots have also been introduced in the life of elementary
and high school children in the form of robot competitions.
Modern robots are representing well how humans and
robots can interact and work together to achieve industrial
goals and create possibilities for even greater innovations
and unlock higher potential.
What to expect in the future
With so many new innovations coming in, we have a lot to
look out for in the future. Abilities like sensing the
environment and responding appropriately to the situations,
robots possess a high level of AI. This increases their
probability of working in conjunction with humans in other
fields as well.
Today humanoid robots like Pepper can recognize faces and
basic human emotions. Pepper is optimized to engage in
human conversations and is designed aesthetically to have a
human touch to it.
Today pepper is successfully operating in setups like
hospitals and schools. There are robots like Roomba, which
is a domestic vacuum cleaner robot that does a single
menial job of keeping the surface clean on its own that
leaves humans to do the more important jobs.
Similarly, we have cars today with a cruise control option
that lets the driver take a back seat on a highway after
feeling fatigued in a long-distance drive and take back
control in a crowded city street, thus completing the more
complex job for which human instinct and intellect is
required.
With time it is becoming more evident that in the future,
humans are more likely to work in harmony with robots
rather than being replaced by them. Robotics will be aiding
humans in achieving goals that seem inconceivable and
assist humans in doing mundane and dangerous jobs.
The usefulness of robots can be realized with the emergence
of the recent pandemic. Robots could easily deliver the
tasks like assisting health professionals by becoming the
first line of defense and stopping person-to-person
transmission of the virus, and complete menial tasks with
absolute safety. This leaves the doctors to deal with the
more complex jobs of management of the system and
similar important tasks.
Thus, we can conclude that the future looks promising with
the evolution of modern robotics, and previously
inconceivable dreams now seem more conceivable.
03 | MM 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
24| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
-Trishika. R
27.
28. Circle K
Catering World Class Service with High Quality Products
The retail food industry has
seen a massive upsurge in the
past couple of decades and is
expected to expand even further. What
makes these retail food stores so
popular as against traditional food
stores is value for money, hygiene, and
ambience.
Convenience stores is the buzzword
today and food retailers are leaving no
stone unturned to deliver the best with
a variety of options.
We spoke to one such food retailer,
Circle K that is focused on becoming
the top convenience store. Following
are the excerpts of the interview:
Please brief our audience about your
company, its values, and how the
company has been positioned as a
leading player in the retail space.
Circle K is one of the largest food
retailers in the world and is recognized
as a Leading Global Franchise. It was
brought by Convenience Arabia in
2009, catering a unique shopping
experience for customers. We have
been awarded as Best Convenience
Retail Chain, three consecutive years
in a row - 2017, 2018 and 2019. We are
also Ranked #9 on the Top 10 Global
Franchises for 2012 by Entrepreneur
magazine, ahead of KFC, Domino's,
Dunkin' Donuts and 7-Eleven. What
makes us remarkable? It is the unique
locations that we have.
What products does your company
offer, and how are these making an
impact on the industry and your
customers?
We have got on-the-go healthy snacks,
fresh food, hot meals, beverages,
pastry items, the everyday necessities
for your family. We impact our
customers' experience by catering a
world class service and keeping the
highest quality of products with
healthy attributes for our customers.
Brief us about Laurent Guitart and
his journey in the industry, and how
they have contributed towards the
company's success.
The joining of Laurent Guitart in the
team in 2015 brought a tremendous
success for the company. He
implemented numerous positive result
programs, deep reorganization of
management team and its Company
Strategy Mission and Vision. He
improved purchase and operations
platform resulting in substantial
increase in revenue and margin and
streamlined relationship of partners
and suppliers. Under his leadership,
Circle K got awarded Best Retail
Convenience Chain in UAE for three
years in a row.
Being an experienced leader, share
with us your opinion on how the
adaptation of modern technologies
such as AI, big data and machine
learning have transformed the retail
industry and what more could be
expected in the near future?
Artificial Intelligence, big data and
machine learning help us to rethink
how we integrate information, analyze
data, and insights to improve
identifying our decision. We are forced
to adapt these changes to cope up with
the modern way of living. We can
expect that in the near future retail
stores will become unmanned and that
only machines will work for them,
such as smart vending machines.
Taking into consideration, the
current pandemic, and its impact on
global economies, how are you
driving your company to sustain
operations and ensuring safety of
your employees at the same time?
Our immediate action helped protect
the team and at the same time our
business. Always, safety comes first.
So, we implemented safety measures at
26| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
29. all our outlets and in our office. It was
a tough decision that we decided to
close some of our stores, minimizing
manpower from head office team to
operations team, requesting the
landlords for rent relief, and sending
letters to suppliers to hold their
payments and asking them to
understand the situation. It was a
horrible season for all businesses, but
that is the reality.
What would be your advice to
budding entrepreneurs who aspire to
venture into the retail space?
My advice for them is to wake up 5 am
every morning and be grateful. Learn
to adapt the changes quickly, study the
market trends and to put the customers
at the heart of the business.
How do you envision scaling your
company's operations and offerings
in 2021?
We keep showcasing great products in
front of our customers, so they cannot
resist but buy our products. At the
same time, we do sales promotions. It
has been used for decades and the
outcome was always great success.
Learn to adapt the
changes quickly,
study the market
trends and put
the customers at
the heart of the
business.
“
“
Laurent Guitart
Chief Executive Officer
27| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
Saudi Arabia's Most admired Companies in 2021
30. These words by Brazilian mixed Martial Artists Vitor
Belfort stand true to Rao Sahib Jashanmal, who by
founding in 1919, left a legacy
Jashanmal Group
behind, which has become a global name catering to clients
and creating job opportunities across different countries.
Since its inception, Jashanmal Group has been a reliable
partner in retail space for international fashion and
footwear, travel gear, home appliances, and publishing
companies seeking an opportunity to enter the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Today, the group's
retail operations span over 150 stores in the UAE, Kuwait,
Bahrain, Oman, and India. Our distribution network extends
to more than 1,000 outlets.
Furthermore, under the leadership of CEO Khaled
Soliman and with the strong support of a proprietary
logistics network that manages freight-forwarding,
warehousing, regional, and international supply chains,
Jashanmal Group has established itself as an equity partner
in several regional joint ventures.
“At the heart of our new value creation strategy is our
innovative philosophy of transforming relationships into
partnerships," says Khaled, "We are closely working with
international business partners in the premium and luxury
sectors to help build brands in the GCC region through our
retail operations and extensive distribution and wholesale
network."
Read the following interview where Khaled Soliman shares
the success saga of Jashanmal Group also how the company
came out strong while facing the challenges during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
What products does the Jashanmal Group offer, and
how are these making an impact on the industry and
your customers?
We offer a wide selection of premium and high-quality
goods from appliances and luggage to home, beauty, books,
and fashion. There has been a shift in consumer behavior,
customers are focusing more on self-care and are looking
for products that create value in their lives. During the
recent pandemic, our appliances were in demand, there is a
strong emphasis on health and wellbeing.
Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion
on how the adaptation of modern technologies such as
AI, Big Data, and Machine Learning has transformed
the retail industry and what more could be expected in
the future?
AI, Big Data, and ML adoption are reshaping the retail
industry across inventory planning, supply chain
management, and customer data management. We can now
create better demand forecasting models using Big Data and
AI to mine granular insights from trading patterns,
consumer behavior, competitor activities, and make
proactive changes to our marketing, merchandising, and
pricing strategies.
AI and Big Data are also playing a significant part in our
communications with customers whereby we can
personalize CRM strategies and tailor offers and
promotions based on customer demands.
Jashanmal Group
A Legacy of Reliability, Empowering the International Retail Sector
“Legacy is not what I did for myself. It's what I'm doing for the next generation.”
28| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
Saudi Arabia's Most admired Companies in 2021
31. About the leader
Since the day Khaled Soliman joined the Jashanmal Group his mandate
was to turn around the organization and march along with the next
century. His vision to work towards transforming the company to be
compatible in an increasingly digital environment, all the while
ensuring the best possible in-store and online shopping experience has
led Jashanmal Group to new heights.
Khaled developed and implemented the necessary strategies required to
innovate from the inside and roll out fully immersive technology-driven
retail spaces. Jashanmal Group launched its e-commerce business
during the pandemic and in less than a year it has contributed 3-4% of
the turnover.
At the heart
of our new
value creation
strategy is our innovative
philosophy of transforming
relationships
into partnerships.
“
“
Khaled Soliman
CEO of Jashanmal Group
29| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
32. With more maturity of these technologies in the future, we
expect their adoption to be the norm rather than a choice.
Retailers not integrating these technologies run the risk of
losing market share.
We can expect more personalization in assortment,
promotions, and experiences based on customer personas
built on ML and Big Data in both stores and online.
Interactive chat, guided discovery, and conversational
support will play a bigger role in traditional customer-
facing roles. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has already
been a catalyst to this change due to physical distancing.
But I think in the short term, Supply Chain Management
will be the biggest benefactor of these technologies, as we
should see time and material spillovers reduce, with more
accurate demand and delay forecasting.
Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its
impact on global economies, how are you driving your
company to sustain operations and ensuring the safety
of your employees at the same time?
For businesses, there have been many lessons to be learned.
Just like every other company we had to control our cost
structure especially when operating remotely which has
become a new normal with various segments of the
businesses being more virtually connected now than ever
before.
The pandemic has accelerated the growth of e-commerce,
contactless purchases, service, and digital payment
platforms. We are now more agile and confident in
contactless and virtual interaction across all areas of service
and business.
The safety of our employees is our priority. We continue to
provide an environment that respects the best and highest
occupational health and safety standards as per the U.A.E
guidelines. Regular disinfection of the office spaces,
maintaining social distancing, and flexibility to work from
home are some of the key measures that have been
undertaken by the Jashanmal Group.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the retail space?
The retail space is dynamic. It is constantly evolving. It is
important to know your business well and have a long-term
vision. I would strongly recommend the young aspirants to
test the market for their product portfolio through different
options pre-committing to any retail space investment.
Retail spaces are not easy to maintain and can be quite a
drain on your expense account.
How do you envision scaling your company's operations
and offerings in 2021?
Today Jashanmal Group stands at a cusp of expansion and
innovation and we all have exciting times ahead of us. We
live in a data-driven world that requires digital dexterity
and customer-first innovation, changing the status quo and
an entire culture to prioritize long-term digital
transformation is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube on a
rollercoaster.
For us, digital will continue to spearhead. We are making
our divisions lean, efficient, and technology-focused and are
constantly revisiting our product portfolio and offerings.
30| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
33.
34. What exactly is
Guerrilla Marketing?
Decoding the Controversial
Marketing
Approach
32| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
35. #Trendsplaining
G
uerrilla marketing is an unconventional method of
marketing, where the techniques and tactics
surprise the audiences. It creates an extraordinary
relationship with the non-existing and existing audiences,
astonishing the people by showing them fantastic stuff they
might not have seen earlier, thus creating a buzz about the
brand.
In times of war, specific military tactics were used to attack
the opponents. This way, the opponents were not able to do
anything but to suffer the attack. The same tactics are used
in modern-day Guerrilla Marketing, amazing the audience
and influence them to buy products or services of the
featured brand.
Why Guerrilla marketing?
Guerrilla marketing is an effective way to promote the
products and services of a brand. It boosts awareness and
creates a buzz among the audience, which makes them think
about the brand. It impacts the audi ence psychologically
and emotionally, which eventually helps in word-of-mouth
marketing. The audience sees something unique, out of the
box, and a different concept of marketing.
Characteristics of Guerrilla Marketing
It's cost-effective - It requires less money; once the idea
and its process are decided, then it can be set up at low
costs. Apart from expensive digital marketing, this
traditional marketing is cheap and impactful.
It's area-specific - It must be set up in the desired area,
where there is more visibility like building, roundabout, etc.
As it is area-specific, guerrilla marketing techniques target
only the audience which is present in the chosen area.
It's viral marketing - If the audience shoots or captures
footage of the setup and shares it on digital platforms, then
it can reach people other than the chosen area, where it can
33| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
36. go viral and reach multiple platforms. For this to happen,
the advertisers should have a distinctive idea and concept.
It's Creative - Guerrilla marketing is a creative process;
advertisers brainstorm to come to a final concept. If the idea
is appealing and the message is getting interpreted
creatively, then that idea is finalized.
Types of Guerrilla marketing –
Ambush marketing
It is a type of Guerrilla marketing, where the advertiser
ambushes to get exposure over its competitors. It can occur
in public places like stadiums, where surprisingly, a brand
is exposed to the public. The goal is again to surprise the
audience.
Experiential marketing
In experiential marketing, the advertisers display products
of the brand in such a way that it is open for trial.
Consumers can try the product and get experience and then
form their opinions about it – for example, test drives, face-
to-face marketing, in-store experience, sampling, shows,
kiosks.
Stealth marketing
In stealth marketing, a brand is displayed or advertised to
people unconsciously, and the target person does not know
that a brand is being advertised to him/her.
Ambient marketing
In this type, billboards, kiosks, hoardings, and objects are
placed at unusual places, where the audience could not have
imagined. The idea is to get their attention and draw them
towards the features of a brand.
Viral marketing
Viral marketing includes promoting a brand on a larger
level where the advertisers don't take much effort, as the
people are doing it for them. The audience shares the story
extensively to let it reach to larger audience organically. For
this to happen again, the story, concept, or idea has to be
different.
Examples of Brands, which adopted Guerrilla
Marketing strategies –
Audi (Automobile)
Audi adopted a stunning marketing strategy, where a hot air
balloon was tied to a hoarding. It was depicting the strength
and power of Audi; it has got the strength to pull and
control a hot air balloon. This set could be seen from larger
distances, so it was able to target countless people to the
sizable circumference.
Mc Donald's (Fast Food)
Mc Donald's uses various strategies to empower its brand. It
featured French fries—which is the most selling snack of
McDonald's—to emphasize its brand. It displayed
billboards informing the driving customers about the
navigation of its restaurants. Mc Donald's has always tried
to showcase surprising burgers and cold drinks on top of
buildings by creating 3D enlarged models of food items.
This kind of marketing aroused craving in the mind of by-
passers for McDonald's burgers.
Nike (Fitness)
Nike is a shoe brand; thus, it has to promote fitness so that
its target audience will start using Nike shoes all along their
journey to stay fit. Nike dislocated the base part of the
bench—which is used to sit in parks or jogging tracks—and
used its logo with its tagline 'Just Do It.' This was to
influence the psychological mind patterns of individuals.
Rather than taking some rest, move and get going.
KitKat (FMCG)
As its tagline goes, "Have a break have a KitKat," it mostly
markets its product in ways to relax and chill. One example
showed, on a KitKat printed billboard, a swing was hung
for the pedestrians to sit on the swing and relax. This
engaged the people, which led to customer involvement.
People did enjoy the setup and started clicking pictures of
it.
Duracell (Energy)
Duracell is known for its artworks on power boxes, and
they displayed two Duracell on the frontal part of small
power boxes, which are usually seen in south-eastern areas
of the United States. It depicts that the Duracell has the
power to majorly supply electricity to different areas of the
States. A cost-effective and powerful concept was initiated
by Duracell.
Guerrilla Marketing has proved to be a great way to market
brands. Guerrilla Marketing aims to retain old customers
and generate a new audience. It is all about how brands are
displayed, the idea behind it, and how it is impacting
psychologically and emotionally on the minds of the
people. It does not resemble a traditional marketing
initiative, such as a straightforward print or TV advertising
campaign. Many brands are not adopting this approach due
to its benefits and results.
34| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
-Yash. Y
37.
38. Enabling Businesses to Transact Online
with Ease and Safety
S
audi Arabia, the country that
was famous for its traditional
dependence on oil, is now
shifting towards innovation,
digitization, and entrepreneurship. To
strengthen this shift further under
Saudi Vision 2030, the Saudi Arabian
government aims to raise the
contribution of small to medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) to the GDP from
20% to 35% by 2030.
As such, there are tremendous growth
opportunities and potential for people,
businesses, and communities who want
to be part of this transformation. And
PayTabs, a home-grown payments
company is contributing to the Saudi
2030 vision by providing an easier and
secure payment gateway.
“We have analyzed the gaps in the
payment market and launch solutions
that play to the strengths of our diverse
and dynamic team,” says Abdulaziz Al
Jouf, theFounder and CEO of
PayTabs.
Read the following interview where
Abdulaziz has shared how he was
inspired to venture into payments
gateway space and how PayTabs has
been helping businesses streamline
their online transactions through the
company's easier and safer platform.
Please brief our audience about your
company, its values, and its journey
so far.
Back in 2014, PayTabs was established
in a humble office with only 6
members onthe team. Seven years ago,
we were a struggling start-up and today
we're proud to mention that we are an
award-winning payment solutions
company with operations around the
MENA region.
Our vision has always been to be
global in outlook but next-door in
service by making payment processing
simple, straightforward, and seamless
for all members of the e-commerce
field.
Over 7 years, PayTabs has evolved
since its founding from a home-grown
payments company in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia to a regional GCC market
player to an iconic global payment
solutions enterprise.
With presence from Cairo to Dubai.
Originally backed by Aramco's Waéd
Entrepreneurship Center and later by
other private institutions and
individuals, it now has strategic
partnerships worldwide.
PayTabs success has been built on
many factors:
List the range of PayTab's offerings,
and how you have ascertained your
stronghold within Saudi Arabia.
We have analyzed the gaps in the
payment market and launch solutions
that play to the strengths of our diverse
and dynamic team. We are geared to
take the region's payment ecosystem to
the next level of sophistication and e-
commerce adaptation via our digital
products and online solutions suite
which includes:
Online Payments/Mobile Payments:
We enable customers to pay and get
paid instantly, securely, and globally
online via our mobile payment
application.
Recurring Payments: This solution is
perfect for merchants who wish to set
up repeat payments such as gym
membership, educational fees, etc.
Social Payments – Paylinks: Our new
social commerce solution#PayLinks
allows our merchants to sell from the
comfort of their home or office desk
and get paid with ease. It is a secure
payment link that our merchants can
share with their customers over any
popular messaging platform and get
paid instantly.
E-Invoices:An in-built in-house
solution for quick electronic invoicing
Saudi Arabia's Most admired Companies in 2021
36| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
39. and invoice customization. PayTabs
supports up to 168 currencies for
effective digital invoicing.
Biller Solutions: From Oman to Jordan
and UAE to Egypt, we have localized
options for bill payments to simplify
the lives of millions and allow them to
make effortless bill payments from
home.
Education Solutions: A centralized fee
payment portal that enables parents to
pay enrolment, registration, tuition,
and other fees online while providing
schools and educational institutes with
a secure platform to manage the
collection of student fee payments.
Hospitality Solutions: PayTabs and
SecurePay have partnered to offer a
seamless paybylink and 3DS payment
gateway solution for the hospitality
industry to streamline reservations
operations, increase occupancy, and
eliminate chargebacks.
Paytabs Switch: In Q4 2020, PayTabs
entered a software purchase
arrangement with an India based
technology company - for a
middleware switch technology that will
complement PayTabs' current
technology stack and help in
expanding the business to cater to
multinational banks and partners that
may be looking for an end-to-end
payment processing solution.
Being an experienced leader, share
with us your opinion on why the
adoption of modern technologies is
necessary for your industry and how
have you leveraged technology
within your company?
The silver lining of 2020 was that
merchants increased their engagement
of online platforms and demand
towards innovative payment solutions
and acceptance of cashless transactions
grew.
People who
ultimately
succeed in life
are not the
strongest or the
most intelligent
but the ones
most adaptable
to change and
survival.
From Zoom meetings to online food
delivery and on-demand movies to
digital fitness, technology has
overpowered our lives. Customer
behavior during the pandemic was
evidence of the technology surge in our
lives.
Our enhanced payment processing
platform has been designed to enhance
our merchants' user experience,
automate, and streamline payment
processes.
The PT 2.0 100% in-house technology
platform will ultimately result in
flexible and nimble rollout of new
product features for web, social media,
and mobile play. PayTabs soon aims to
offer a full suite of acquiring solutions
that include both offline and online
processing modules which will bring
cutting-edge technology like Phone
NFC, social commerce, digital
invoicing, and merchant financing
“
“
Abdulaziz Al Jouf
Founder and CEO
37| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
40. along with issuing an end-to-end
acquiring platform.
n today's hyper-connected world, we
I
continue to make payments super
simple for clients that have placed
their trust in us. For the first time in the
region, we successfully launched
PayLinks which will enable our
merchants to sell from their homes or
office and get paid easily.
It's a secure payment link that
merchants can share with their
customers over any social platform.
Once the customer clicks on the shared
PayLinks they are directed to a
payment page and then the merchant
gets paid instantly. PayLinks can be
shared via Facebook posts, Instagram
photos, Tweets, LinkedIn articles, or
even emails.
Taking into consideration, the
current pandemic, and its impact on
global economies, how are you
driving your company to sustain
operations and ensuring the safety of
your employees at the same time?
We focused on the health, safety, and
well-being of the PayTabs team and
other stakeholders by continuing to
work from home where necessary,
during these strange times.
It took upon us to motivate the team to
progress with the roll-out of PayTabs'
sophisticated new payment platform
PT 2.0 to our merchants and partners,
in KSA and globally to facilitate their
payments more effortlessly, amidst
Covid-19.The company also
introduced relevant payment solutions
during the pandemic and enabling
businesses to think cashless.
One of the features of our new system
is social commerce. Social payments
enable thousands of freelancers and
small businesses in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and other markets to sell
via Instagram, WhatsApp, and
Messenger, by sharing payment links
with their clients.
Here is a fun fact, across the Middle
East, Instagram has 63 million users,
representing about 10% of global users
38| June 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com