The retail and real estate sectors are embracing unprecedented technological advancement as they reshape how businesses interact with consumers and manage complex operations. The growing demand for seamless, efficient, and secure systems has fuelled the adoption of advanced IT solutions, which are now indispensable in creating competitive differentiation. With technology playing a central role in customer experience, operational agility, and service innovation, businesses within these sectors are prioritizing sophisticated IT infrastructures to meet evolving market needs.

Loay M Safa, as Chief Information Officer, brings visionary leadership and strategic acumen to his work in transforming IT frameworks within this domain. Known for his proactive approach, Loay emphasizes the integration of robust and agile IT solutions that empower organizations to drive growth and resilience.

His leadership is defined by a deep understanding of how advanced technology can optimize productivity and security while fostering a culture of adaptability among teams. Loay’s focus on innovation and operational efficiency highlights his dedication to reshaping the future of IT within the industry.

At Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co., Loay’s initiatives underscore the company’s commitment to enhancing business operations through cutting-edge technology and streamlined IT solutions. Established with a vision of advancing retail and real estate experiences, Al Othaim Investment has continually expanded its portfolio and embraced technological modernization. Through Loay’s expertise and strategic implementations, the company strengthens its position as a leader, setting new standards in delivering value and growth across the region’s retail and real estate sectors.

Let’s discover how Loay is redefining IT to shape the future of retail and real estate!

Redefining IT in Retail and Real Estate

As the CIO at Al Othaim Investment, Loay’s journey into the IT sector spans over 20 years, marked by impactful roles and extensive expertise across various high-profile organizations. His motivation to embark on this sector stems from a profound interest in leveraging technology to drive business transformation and operational efficiency.

At the initial stage of his career, Loay realized how technology could streamline operations and innovate entire industries. This realization led him to specialize in developing IT strategies that align with organizational goals and improve service delivery, especially in complex environments.

Throughout the years, Loay has applied this passion across diverse organizations, including the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, ExxonMobil RasGas, Qatargas, and now at Al Othaim Investment. He shares, “At each step of my career, my goal has been to drive value through technology, optimizing systems to enhance productivity, reliability, and security.” “As CIO, I continue to pursue this mission by implementing advanced solutions and championing digital transformation to keep Al Othaim Investment at the forefront of innovation in retail and real estate,” he added.

Abdullah Al Othaim Investment

One of the leading and specialized companies in establishing and operating a variety of commercial complexes, entertainment centers, fashion outlets, restaurants, and cafes in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and the Arab Republic of Egypt.

With over 20 years of experience in the sector, Al Othaim has established a great history in the real estate and retail sectors. It has established a fundamental national trade operating in retail, supplies, and entertainment, and commercial complexes such as shopping centers with world-class specifications, as an inspiring entity in innovation and development, and economic prosperity, taking bold steps that yield successful results in support of the Kingdom’s 2030 vision.

Al Othaim invests in stories that change individuals’ lifestyles and give back to society, as well as in establishing diverse projects to increase social and economic progress.

Transforming Operations with IT Modernisation

Loay and his team led a successful strategy implementation at Al Othaim Investment, where they aimed to modernize and streamline the company’s IT infrastructure to support diverse sectors, including retail, entertainment, and real estate. This initiative has centralized processes across a complex, multi-location setup, ensuring the unique needs of each business unit get fulfilled. Its key steps included:

• Assessment and Alignment: Loay started with a comprehensive assessment of the organization’s existing IT landscape, identifying gaps in efficiency and security. He worked with department leaders to align the strategy with core business objectives, ensuring their initiatives would be IT-driven and business-oriented.
• Designing the Framework: Based on the findings, Loay developed a framework around a shared services model, enabling him to centralize IT services across departments. This involved implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SAP SuccessFactors for ERP and HR, which provided the necessary flexibility and integration across operations. Loay and his team also adopted YARDI for property management and LS Retail for their food and beverage operations.
• Process Automation and Security: Loay emphasized business process automation and strengthened IT security protocols. He deployed Darktrace to monitor network activity and proactively detect potential threats, reducing the risk of downtime from cyber incidents.
• Execution and Training: He deployed the new systems across departments with a structured rollout plan and extensive training sessions to ensure a smooth transition for each team. He prioritized change management to secure buy-in by minimizing resistance and promoting adoption.

In addition, Loay established key performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the new system continuously. Through regular feedback loops, we fine-tuned processes to ensure sustained improvement.

The strategy reduced operational redundancies, streamlined data flows, and allowed teams to make data-driven decisions with real-time insights. It has since become a cornerstone of Al Othaim Investment’s IT operations, supporting its growth and enhanced service delivery across all business units.

Proactive Risk Management

Loay shares, “I take a proactive and structured approach to identify and address potential risks while formulating any new IT strategy.” This process starts with a thorough risk assessment phase, where he engages with cross-functional teams to understand business requirements, existing vulnerabilities, and operational dependencies.

Then, he creates a detailed risk matrix by categorizing risks with probability and impact. Loay also calculates technical and business risks—from cybersecurity threats to supply chain or resource limitations—to develop a comprehensive strategy that ensures resilience and security.

Blueprint for Seamless Cross-Functional Collaboration

Loay believes that successful collaboration among cross-functional teams hinges on three critical factors: clear communication, aligned objectives, and mutual respect. Ensuring each team understands their specific role and broader goals in complex projects creates a shared sense of purpose. This clarity builds trust, helping teams work seamlessly and focus on delivering outcomes that benefit the entire organization.

He focused on the following strategies to foster effective collaboration:

• Establishing Transparent Communication Channels: Loay ensures structured communication channels are in place—typically through platforms like Microsoft Teams, Dynamics 365, and SharePoint. He believes regular project meetings and clear documentation help prevent information silos and keep all teams informed of project milestones and potential challenges.
• Defining Roles and Responsibilities: He set clear roles and responsibilities to avoid overlapping and ensure everyone understands their part in the larger project. This step is essential for cross-functional projects, where clarity can drive accountability.
• Promoting a Culture of Mutual Respect: Loay emphasizes respecting each team’s expertise, as different departments bring unique skills and perspectives. Acknowledging and valuing these differences encourages teams to share their ideas and collaborate without hesitation.

Bridging Innovation with Business

Loay has encountered unique challenges—in aligning IT strategies with broader business goals—while working with high-profile organizations. One of the primary challenges has been bridging the gap between rapid technological advancements and traditional business models, which often demand agility and adaptability from IT to support evolving objectives.

Another key challenge is the need for IT to deliver measurable value and ROI in environments where investments must be justified to diverse stakeholders, especially when the impact of IT initiatives on business outcomes isn’t always immediately visible. This is particularly true in large-scale projects, where long-term planning and operational scalability are critical.

To overcome these challenges Loay emphasizes:

• Engaging Stakeholders: He ensures stakeholders are involved by conducting workshops and strategy sessions to align the organization’s IT roadmap with business priorities. At Al Othaim, Loay worked closely with its shared services and retail divisions to build a shared understanding of how IT could drive efficiency and customer satisfaction across stores, malls, and entertainment venues.
• Balancing Innovation with Practicality: It drives immediate value and scalability. For example, when implementing Dynamics 365 and SAP SuccessFactors, Loay focused on phased rollouts, allowing each department to see measurable improvements in process automation and efficiency, building buy-in over time.
• Setting Metrics and Communicating Impact: Loay establishes KPIs that directly relate to business objectives, such as reducing operational costs or enhancing customer experience. Regular reporting on these metrics to executive leadership reinforces IT value and keeps initiatives aligned with business goals.

Turning Resistance into Resilience

Loay has encountered resistance while implementing a major ERP overhaul. The initiative is essential for shared services and retail divisions and requires adopting new processes and workflows in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SAP SuccessFactors. Many team members were accustomed to legacy systems and expressed concerns about the learning curve and potential disruptions to their routines.

Strategies for Gaining Buy-In

• Transparent Communication: Loay prioritizes sharing the “why” behind the change. He held team meetings to brief them on how the new ERP would improve productivity and make day-to-day tasks easier by reducing redundant, manual work.
• Inclusive Planning: To give the team a sense of ownership, Loay invites key representatives to be part of the planning. By involving them in decision-making—such as configuring user-friendly workflows—he empowers them to shape the system to better meet their needs, building confidence and acceptance.
• Providing Training and Support: Loay organizes hands-on training sessions and assigns mentors to guide team members to develop their skills. Additionally, he established a support channel where employees get assistance with any challenges they face.
• Celebrating Small Wins: Loay celebrates small wins, such as improved processing times and smoother reporting, to demonstrate the benefits in real-time.

These strategies gradually shifted the team’s mindset, transforming initial resistance into enthusiasm for the new system. They adapted to the change and became champions of the fresh platforms, driving further adoption across other departments.

Key Metrics for Real Impact and Growth

Loay uses a structured approach to measure the success of the implemented IT strategy, focusing on key performance indicators (KPIs) that align directly with the business objectives of Al Othaim Investment. He prioritizes metrics that reflect operational efficiency, cost savings, user adoption, and customer satisfaction, as these are critical to demonstrating IT’s impact on productivity and bottom-line results.

KPI’s:

• Operational Efficiency: Loay monitors improvements in system uptime, processing speed, and workflow automation. For instance, after implementing SAP SuccessFactors, he tracked reductions in order processing time and improvements in data accuracy, which directly translated into faster and more efficient service delivery.
• User Adoption and Satisfaction: For any new system, such as SAP SuccessFactors implementation, user adoption is essential. Loay tracks metrics like active users, usage frequency, and training completion rates to gauge how well the team is engaging with the new tools. He also conducts user satisfaction surveys to gather direct feedback and identify areas for improvement.
• Cost Savings and ROI: Financial metrics are vital to demonstrate the value of IT investments. Loay measures cost savings from process automation, reductions in maintenance costs due to more reliable systems, and overall ROI.
• Customer Experience: In retail, customer satisfaction is paramount, so Loay prioritizes metrics like transaction speed, service reliability, and response time. Improved performance on these fronts indicates that IT is contributing to a better customer experience, which in turn supports business growth.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Loay assesses how adaptable the new system is to future changes. Metrics like system scalability, ease of integration with other tools, and adaptability to new business needs are crucial, especially in our dynamic retail and real estate environment.

These KPIs ensure that each IT strategy achieves its technical goals and creates tangible value for the organization. This data-driven approach to evaluating success provides clarity for stakeholders, reinforces IT’s strategic role, and helps guide future initiatives for continued improvement and growth.

Aligning Innovation with Organizational Goals

Loay integrates emerging technologies with a clear understanding of the technology’s potential and the organization’s strategic goals. The goal is to ensure any new solution enhances current operations and aligns with the long-term objectives of the organization, whether in efficiency, customer experience, or scalability.

1. Identifying Strategic Fit: Loay assess how the technology can address specific business challenges or opportunities. For example, with Al Othaim Investment’s recent adoption of AI-driven analytics, he identified key areas—like customer behavior insights and supply chain optimization—where AI could provide measurable impact.
2. Pilot Testing and Evaluation: Loay prefers running pilot programs before full-scale deployment to evaluate how the technology interacts with their existing systems. He measures performance metrics, gathers user feedback, and identifies technical challenges or compatibility issues during this phase.
3. Stakeholder Involvement and Alignment: Integrating new technology requires cross-functional support, so he involves key stakeholders from IT, operations, and other affected departments. By aligning on shared goals and expectations, he ensures that the technology meets the needs of all business units.
4. Phased Implementation and Training: Loay uses a phased rollout to minimize disruptions, starting with high-impact areas that can yield quick wins and demonstrate value. He also prioritizes training, providing teams with the skills and support they need to adopt the technology effectively.
5. Continuous Monitoring and Optimization: Loay monitors KPIs to track the technology’s performance against the company’s goals. This continuous evaluation helps refine its usage and ensure ongoing alignment with evolving business needs.

These structured approaches helped successfully integrate technologies like process automation and cloud solutions at Al Othaim Investment. Each implementation has driven tangible improvements in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and operational agility, allowing it to stay competitive in a fast-paced retail and real estate landscape.

Shaping Al Othaim’s IT Strategy for a Future-Ready Organization

Loay shares that one of his most significant achievements in IT strategy development was leading the digital transformation initiative for Al Othaim Investment. The goal was to modernize the organization’s IT landscape and align it to grow in retail, real estate, and hospitality.

This transformation involved implementing an ERP system with Dynamics 365, enhancing the cybersecurity framework with Darktrace, and developing a data-driven approach for decision-making across departments.

Key Components and Challenges

The complexity of this initiative lies in integrating various systems across business lines, each with distinct operational requirements. A challenge was gaining buy-in from departments accustomed to legacy systems and processes. Loay addresses circumstances by prioritizing clear communication, establishing cross-functional teams, and providing training to ease the transition. A summary of the lesson learned:

• Importance of a Phased Approach: Breaking down the transformation into manageable phases was crucial. This allowed us to monitor progress, address issues early on, and keep the momentum going without overwhelming teams.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Engaging stakeholders from each business line ensured that IT strategy met their specific needs, fostering a sense of ownership and alignment with the company’s shared goals.
• Continuous Improvement: Loay maintained an iterative approach, fine-tuning processes based on user feedback. This flexibility kept the strategy relevant as his business needs evolved.

The transformation resulted in streamlined operations, improved data visibility, and a strengthened security posture, which empowered teams across Al Othaim to work more efficiently and make data-informed decisions. This experience taught him that a successful IT strategy hinges on adaptability, collaboration, and a clear vision aligned with business goals.