Aviation360 MEA

Riyadh Air has signed a three-year strategic agreement with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to help deliver its technology foundation and capabilities as part of its vision to be the world’s first digitally native airline. Accenture will help set up Riyadh Air’s cloud-only infrastructure, cybersecurity capabilities, managed services and operations as the airline gears up for its launch.

The initiative will enable Riyadh Air to operate in a new era of aviation with digital services at its core, using cutting-edge technologies such as cloud data and AI to help deliver a seamless travel experience for its guests and employees. The core enterprise system will enable the company to scale as it aims to offer over 100 destinations by 2030.

Adam Boukadida, chief financial officer of Riyadh Air, said, “As a digitally native airline, Riyadh Air will be at the forefront of innovation and technology, allowing us to deliver world-class service to our guests. There is a considerable amount of unseen work taking place behind the scenes enabling both our operations and user experience, with Accenture, as our strategic technology partner, helping us to deliver, secure and operate foundational capabilities.”

Emily Weiss, senior managing director at Accenture and head of its Travel practice globally, said, “The launch of Riyadh Air is a landmark moment for the aviation industry as a whole; a brand-new airline that’s designed from the ground up, harnessing the latest technologies to create hyper-connected experiences that meet the demands of today’s, and tomorrow’s travelers. Drawing on our deep industry and digital expertise, we are proud to be collaborating with Riyadh Air to help shape the future of travel.”

Boukadida added, “Accenture is pivotal in enabling Riyadh Air’s cloud-first strategy, and our unique architecture will ensure that our technology stack is future-proof and remains legacy-free. It also will be built and supported with the highest level of cybersecurity and automation in mind from its inception.”