Riyadh Air and IBM Partner for Airline Digital Innovation

Riyadh Air and IBM (NYSE: IBM) have joined forces in a significant collaboration aimed at establishing the technological foundation for a digitally driven airline. Under this strategic partnership, IBM Consulting will take the lead as the systems integrator, supporting the creation, development, and orchestration of the technology infrastructure that will enable this digitally native airline to offer exceptional and seamless travel experiences.

Riyadh Air and IBM Consulting have already devised the airline’s digital and technology strategy, and now Riyadh Air has chosen IBM Consulting to help build the critical business and technology capabilities that underpin this strategy. This includes the implementation and integration of more than 50 solutions tailored to the airline industry, encompassing essential technology components such as security, infrastructure, integration, and data platforms, all orchestrated using a hybrid cloud approach. IBM will also oversee the work of over 40 partners, providing program and technical governance, project management, quality assurance, change and communications management, as well as training.

This collaboration is expected to strategically position Riyadh Air within the broader ecosystem, enabling the airline to offer digital innovations and exceptional experiences for its travelers and guests. Riyadh Air’s vision is to establish a world-class airline that delivers personalized and seamless guest experiences, powered by AI and cutting-edge digital technology, paying meticulous attention to creating memorable micro-moments throughout the traveler’s journey. Additionally, it aims to empower its employees with data-driven insights and new ways of working to better serve its guests.

Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer of Riyadh Air, stated, “Our ambition is to launch our first flight in 2025 and put Riyadh Air at the cutting edge of digital technology and innovation within the aviation industry, adopting the best international sustainability and safety practices to deliver an exceptional travel experience, for our guests locally and internationally.”

John Granger, Senior Vice President of IBM Consulting, expressed his pride in partnering with Riyadh Air and helping usher in a new era in the Kingdom’s aviation industry. He emphasized the importance of a technology foundation built with an open, hybrid cloud approach and AI capabilities in achieving the flexibility and agility required to deliver an exceptional travel experience.

IBM Consulting will also establish and maintain Riyadh Air’s hybrid cloud integration platform, incorporating IBM CloudPak for Integration and Red Hat OpenShift to provide integration tools that simplify connecting applications and data, offering a unified and user-friendly experience.

Riyadh Air’s digital and technology strategy aligns with its mission and is in harmony with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, aimed at leading the aviation industry by transforming the nation into a global aviation and trade hub, capitalizing on its strategic location.

IBM Consulting specializes in accelerating business transformation for its clients through hybrid cloud and AI technologies, leveraging an open ecosystem of partners. With deep industry and business expertise spanning strategy, experience design, technology, and operations, the company has established itself as a trusted partner to the world’s most innovative and valuable companies, helping them modernize and secure their most complex systems. Employing a co-creation method called IBM Garage, IBM Consulting collaborates closely with clients to scale ideas into tangible outcomes. As a major global systems integrator within a technology company, IBM Consulting goes beyond providing advice to actively inventing and building what’s next alongside its clients.