Seed Group Announces Partnership with Cloudia to Bring Innovative 2nd Generation Procurement Solutions to the Public and Private Sectors in the UAE

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 09 January 2019 – Seed Group, owned by The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Cloudia, a Finnish global provider of digital procurement solutions offering a complete suite of Source-to-Pay services. This partnership will offer Cloudia the right boost to expand and penetrate its key markets in the UAE, particularly large regional organizations as well as public sector organizations where it has a lot of strings in the past.

Seed group has identified the need in existing procurement functions for smart, practical and efficient solutions to bring benefits from best practices in digitalized procurement. Cloudia, which has been in operation for about a year in the UAE, has been identified as the company that is perfectly suited to bring into the market innovative solutions that are gaining interest by shortening and enhancing the procurement cycle.

“With the swift operations it brings, Cloudia has impressed us. They boast ease of use and unique user experience of their solutions which is critical to winning over the hearts of decision-makers in the Middle East,” says Hisham Al Gurg, CEO of Seed Group and The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum. “It was also very important for us, among many others, to select a company that has proven track record of delivering on its commitments in every aspect of one’s business, which Cloudia possesses through its proven ability to provide complete transparency and expertise in order to respond to the challenges of today’s digital information age and to make simple and effective use of that amount of data.”

Cloudia has a long history of working with governments, providing them with a strong foundation for national expansion. Cloudia’s Global CEO, Are Saarinen, said the Middle East market is the key market for Cloudia and the main focus for the company’s global expansion.

“We are excited about this partnership and really looking forward to jointly help customers in UAE to get more value from their procurement processes. There has been a lot of positive changes in the procurement industry in the region where organizations are seriously looking to move from manual procurement processes to fully digitalized solutions. Cloudia has an easy-to-use, digitally advanced platform that can bring real bottom-line value, efficiency, and transparency matching the vision of the leaders of the country,” says Joonas Jantunen, CEO of Cloudia Middle East and Africa. “We see this partnership with Seed Group as a huge opportunity to help bring these positive changes to the UAE market and value the drive and passion the team under Mr. Al Gurg’s leadership has brought onto the table already.”

About Cloudia

Cloudia is a global provider of a complete suite of Source-to-Pay services. Its comprehensive product portfolio includes data security certified and easy-to-use solutions for strategic and operational aspects of procurement, including eSourcing, Contract Management, Supplier Management, Purchasing, and Payments. Cloudia’s digital marketplace for suppliers and buyers has an annual procurement volume exceeding USD 22 billion, and the company has seen a consistent growth of +40% for the past 5 years. Founded in Finland in 2008, Cloudia currently operates in Finland and the UAE. For more information, visit www.cloudia.com/for-media.

About Seed Group

Over the past 16 years, Seed Group has formed strategic alliances with leading global companies representing diverse regions and industries. These companies have propelled their business interests and goals in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region through the support and strong base of regional connections of the Seed Group. The Group’s goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships with multinational organizations and to accelerate their sustainable market entry and presence within the MENA region. Seed Group has been a key point in the success of all its partners in the region helping them reach their target customers and accelerate their businesses. The Private Office was established by Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum to directly invest in or assist potential business opportunities in the region, which meet The Private Office’s criteria. For more information, visit www.seedgroup.com.

Cloudia Media Contact

Anne Riihimäki
+358 40 758 7002
anne.riihimaki@cloudia.com

Seed Group Media Contact

Nomarie Jean Lacsamana
+971 4 373 5068
jean@seedgroup.com