UAE’s FloraNow Acquires Distribution Branch of KSA’s Astra Farm

Dubai’s business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, FloraNow, has acquired the distribution business of Saudi Arabia’s Astra Farms, a move stemming from its aim of introducing innovative technology into the perceived traditional Saudi floral market.

Founded in 2016, the MENA region’s first digital B2B marketplace, FloraNow, operates a platform which connects global flower and plant producers in major exporting to regional buyers, incorporating hotels and event planners, down to local florists and supermarkets.

It’s transparent transactions and use of innovative tech and advanced cold-chain management solutions--such as refrigerated logistics--have been central to its efforts to uprooting and transforming the region’s floricultural industry.

Saudi-based Astra Farms, meanwhile, is the Middle East’s largest producer of cut flowers and operates an extensive distribution network across the kingdom. The acquisition will give Saudi retailers access to a large assortment of plants and flowers--with a choice of over 12,000 commodities--on the FloraNow platform.

FloraNow’s CEO and Founder, Charif Mzayek, said the move will “ enable us to help the Saudi floriculture sector innovate and thrive via the use of amazing technology and world-class, cool-chain logistics.”

Abed Sadeddin, the CEO of Astra Farms, commented: “We are confident this strategic business alliance will allow both companies to grow and prosper. It will play a pivotal role in offering supplementary services to clients that otherwise would not be available and allow Astra Farms to build brand awareness in brand new markets.”

He finished by saying, “we believe Floranow’s technology and logistics platform will optimise current operations, so customers receive an enhanced and timely service.”