Al Tayyar Travel Group, the Middle East’s leading technology-powered travel and tourism company, announced it has rebranded and will be known as SEERA with immediate effect.
The name and identity of SEERA, meaning journey, is the culmination of the Company’s transformation efforts, which has seen its operating environment undergo a significant shift.
The new brand name and its logo, symbolizing the voyage of a traveller around the world, serves as a reflection of the corporate journey the company has embarked on. With the Vision 2030 agenda as a driving force, Saudi Arabia is undergoing an economic and social transformation, with the tourism sector set to be a key beneficiary. SEERA is determined to be at the forefront of these positive developments, with the ultimate purpose of opening up the opportunity of travel for all, by connecting cultures.
The group’s portfolio structure has been updated to capitalize on the opportunities in the market, and to better serve the discerning needs of stakeholders and travellers across B2B, B2C and other verticals, with trusted brands, designed to consistently exceed customer expectations.
A key focus for 2019 and beyond will be the continuous growth of SEERA’s Consumer Travel Business Unit, which has unified all consumer-facing travel services under one department. By working towards a more streamlined offering across digital and retail touchpoints under the Almosafer flagship brand, the Consumer Travel Unit is transforming from a pure play online travel agent, into a fully-fledged omni-channel travel booking services business, which will deliver across all touchpoints, both online and offline.
The group’s travel management business unit will now operate under Elaa, a new brand that will continue to serve as a trusted advisor for corporate and government clients.
SEERA’s Car Rental Business Unit which operates a fleet of over 8,000 vehicles in Saudi Arabia, will complement the journey of travellers to and within the country under the new brand name Lumi.
In line with Saudi Vision 2030’s goal of attracting 30 million pilgrims by 2030, Mawasim, a complete Hajj & Umrah service provider for the B2B travel industry globally, will cater to the religious travel segment. Mawasim will supply agents in key international source markets with complete travel packages for pilgrims.
SEERA’s portfolio is additionally comprised of a hospitality segment, which is planning to acquire 30 hotels in KSA by 2025 and a Corporate Ventures Unit which continues to focus on strategic investments to support SEERA’s vision within the industry.
SEERA’s CEO Abdullah Bin Nasser Aldawood commented on the new brand and portfolio structure: “We are excited for this new chapter that will make our journey as a company even more remarkable. SEERA as a new identity will help fuel our growth, accelerate our progress and give every employee, stakeholder and every traveller we engage with the opportunity to go further with us. With all Business Units working towards the common goal of opening up the opportunity of travel, we are confident that SEERA has the talent, knowledge and capabilities to grow commercially, socially and geographically.”
He added: “Our opportunity now is to recognise the inherent power of travel to take us all further. To foster understanding amongst strangers, to connect and broaden minds, to breed tolerance and to accelerate learning for us all.”
SEERA also wants to play a role in the Kingdom’s vision of creating the next generation of leaders for an innovative society and is putting increased emphasis on CSR initiatives including the group’s homegrown talent accelerator Jadarah. The five-month intensive programme, in partnership with industry giants such as Google, Twitter, Amadeus and Udacity, gives young Arab nationals the tools to strive for their own success in the new economy.
“The second round of Jadarah is set to start in September 2019 and we have already surpassed application numbers compared to last year. Half of the year one graduates are now full-time employees at SEERA and Almosafer and we are proud to say that we have helped bridge the gap between classroom and real-world application,” says Aldawood.
SEERA is powered by a robust technology platform that straddles the group’s different travel businesses. As MENA’s largest homegrown digital travel company, SEERA manages cutting-edge online travel platforms on web, mobile web and app, as well as over 80 retail travel agencies in the Kingdom. Harnessing decades of industry leadership and expertise, SEERA brings 40 years worth of travel knowledge to the digital sphere. As the clear technology leader in the regional travel space, SEERA also leads in understanding KSA and regional travel needs and the group will continue to invest in its personalized offerings, state-of-the-art technology and key strategic partnerships.