AKI ramps up digital infrastructure and human capital led investments
UAE-based family-owned conglomerate Al Khayyat Investments (AKI) is setting the stage for accelerated growth of its pharmacy business in the MENA region by investing in both digital infrastructure and human capital.
AKI’s BinSina Pharmacy brand has unveiled an upgraded mobile app that offers Arabic-speaking customers a flawless browsing, order and delivery tracking experience from anywhere. The app offers 6,000 individual items to consumers and will scale to 10,000 over the next six months. The pharmacy app is being made accessible in both English and Arabic in the UAE with plans to roll out the app to additional markets soon following BinSina’s expansion to Oman.
The move comes as analytics firm AppsFlyer notes that UAE businesses are doubling down on mobile apps in a bid to increase customer engagement and spending as mobile app downloads in the UAE grew by 23% annually in the first half of 2022.
Seeing potential in both e-commerce and brick and mortar retail AKI has also brought together a new leadership team to deliver on its expansion ambitions. At the helm is industry veteran Dr Doaa Marouf, who has been promoted to CEO of AKI Pharma and BinSina Pharmacy. Joining Marouf will be Della Pass, who is new to AKI and has joined as Senior GM of BinSina Pharmacy, as well as overseeing the Holland & Barrett brand within AKI.
“AKI has long been at the forefront of the pharma sector working with partners to not only bring the world’s best products to local communities, but to forge innovative retail models. Our latest investments in both people and infrastructure reflect our conviction to always keep advancing the market forward,” said Zaid S. Al Khayyat, Managing Director of AKI.
“BinSina Pharmacy has been on an accelerated growth path in recent years, fuelled in part by cutting-edge digital infrastructure that helps us to serve consumers anytime, anywhere,” Marouf added. “Together with a senior management team with many years of entrepreneurial experience there is no limit to where we can go.”
AKI currently has a footprint across eight countries in the wider Middle East and Africa region, entering Saudi Arabia and Egypt in 2022.
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