Exclusive Interview with Ayman Hamdan, Co-founder of Unifonic

1. How does E3 Customer Experience Conference showcase innovation and advance Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation goals? 

The E3 Customer Experience (E3CX) Conference plays a crucial role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation by serving as a dynamic marketplace where innovation, policy, and technology converge. For Saudi organisations, the event offers the opportunity to explore real-world solutions, moving beyond abstract concepts to evaluate validated use cases and production-ready technologies. It brings together key stakeholders, including vendors, system integrators, government agencies, and enterprise buyers to collaborate on critical issues such as compliance, integration, and security. 

Crucially, the conference supports Saudi Vision 2030’s emphasis on secure, locally governed digital services and a growing domestic software as a service (SaaS) ecosystem. It enables partnerships between platform providers, local cloud operators, telcos, and system integrators that address national priorities like data residency. For policymakers and regulators, E3CX provides a neutral, insight-rich platform to observe market capabilities, refine regulatory frameworks, and accelerate public-sector procurement. Sessions focus on operational readiness and business impact, including service-level agreements (SLAs), security, pilot-to-production timelines, and demonstrable return on investment (ROI). 

By bringing together technical teams, buyers, and regulators under one roof, the conference shortens procurement cycles, fosters collaborative problem solving, and ensures that digital initiatives deliver measurable economic and social outcomes. Ultimately, E3CX is where Vision 2030’s digital ambitions are translated into scalable, impactful services for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

• Where do you see CX in MENA in three years? 

Over the next three years, customer experience (CX) in the MENA region will shift from being a set of separate channels to a smooth, ongoing conversation that follows customers wherever they are. Mobile messaging and voice will become the primary means of engagement across discovery, purchase, and support. Companies that treat these conversational journeys as a key part of their revenue strategy, rather than just support tools, will be the ones that succeed. AI will move beyond small tests to full-scale use, helping personalise interactions in real time while also meeting local regulations. This will result in faster responses, fewer false positives, and more localised customer experiences. 

At the same time, Arabic-first design will become essential. Businesses that focus on dialect accuracy and culturally relevant design will see better engagement and conversion. Moreover, CX success will be measured by more than just satisfaction scores; business leaders will look closely at how chat and messaging contribute to revenue, customer retention, and cost efficiency. Data residency and local regulations will also play a bigger role in how companies choose their technology partners as governments and large enterprises will prioritise vendors that can demonstrate local hosting, audit logs, and clear data governance. While automation will handle routine tasks, skilled human agents will still be needed for complex or emotional conversations. Finally, CX will increasingly become tailored by industry, with sectors like banking, aviation, and government developing domain-led playbooks for conversational automation, featuring specialised models, compliance patterns and measurement frameworks. Thus, early adopters are poised to win procurement and set an example for others to follow. 

• With Vision 2030 shaping the SaaS market, how is Unifonic enabling better CX for Saudi businesses and public sector buyers? 

With Vision 2030 driving the transformation of the software as a service (SaaS) market in Saudi Arabia, Unifonic is uniquely positioned to enable better customer experience (CX) for both Saudi businesses and public sector buyers. The growing demand for SaaS solutions in the MENA region is fuelled by the rise of new digital models, and Vision 2030 has further accelerated this by emphasising the need for secure, locally compliant, and scalable digital services. 

Unifonic meets these demands by offering a unified conversational platform designed for production from day one. Our technology prioritises Arabic-first experiences, ensuring conversational journeys resonate across different dialects and feel natural to users. This focus on language and cultural relevance reduces friction, increases engagement, and drives higher conversion rates across customer acquisition and support workflows. For the public sector and large enterprises, we have adopted a collaborative go-to-market approach that includes joint pilot design, clear key performance indicators (KPIs), and quick iteration cycles. This enables stakeholders to validate the platform’s impact before committing to scale. 

On the ecosystem front, Unifonic works closely with local cloud operators, telecommunications companies, and system integrators to integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure and accelerate deployment. We also invest in developer programs, training initiatives, and accelerator partnerships to nurture local talent, directly supporting Saudi Vision 2030’s objective of job creation. 

Unifonic operates at the intersection of language, compliance, and production readiness. We empower Saudi organisations to move their conversational projects beyond experimentation into scalable, measurable services that improve both citizen and customer experiences, fully aligned with the Kingdom’s digital transformation, economic growth, and workforce development goals. 

• What is Unifonic Intelligence? 

Unifonic Intelligence is the AI engine that powers the Unifonic customer engagement platform. It brings together four key modules: the AI control centre for governance and oversight, AI chatbot for customer-fa cing virtual agents, agent copilot to assist human agents in real time, and a content creator with marketing recommendations to automate and personalise campaign messaging. Together, these components empower businesses to deliver faster, smarter, and more personalised customer experiences. 

What sets the platform apart is its underlying AI framework, which uses a retrieval-augmented generation approach to ensure responses are grounded in the customer’s real data and up-to-date enterprise knowledge. We carefully evaluate and select leading open-source large language models (LLMs), optimising them for Arabic dialects and region-specific intents. This results in conversational AI that not only understands local nuances but also delivers factually accurate interactions. Early adopters can expect enhanced engagement, improved customer satisfaction and better business decisions through data-driven insights. 

• How does the partnership with Humain and Groq enable this platform and what does it mean for customers? 

Our partnership with Humain and Groq is both a technical and commercial enabler that strengthens the Unifonic AI Powered Customer Engagement Platform with unmatched performance, security, and scalability. Groq provides industry-leading inference hardware and performance engineering, focused specifically on inference execution, which is the critical backbone of live conversational systems. This means significantly faster model execution, lower latency, and scalable throughput, all of which are essential for delivering high-quality customer experiences. At the same time, Humain ensures that these capabilities are deployed locally, with full integration into regional compliance frameworks, and enterprise-grade operational controls across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. 

Groq and Humain led the development of the inference architecture, performance tuning and deployment playbooks. While Groq tuned serving layers for peak low-latency performance, Humain implemented the local hosting, networking and operational controls required by enterprise customers. This joint approach allows us to push new model variants from testing to production in days rather than months, all while maintaining full audit trails and governance that regulated enterprises require. For customers, the benefits are measurable: inference and model serving are hosted in Saudi-based environments, preserving data residency; response times are faster, improving user satisfaction and reducing drop-off; and Arabic language support is significantly enhanced because of regionally-tuned models and dialect validation. 

Ultimately, this partnership gives Unifonic the infrastructure and operational foundation to deliver Arabic-first, compliant AI for enterprises across the region. At the upcoming E3 Customer Experience (E3CX) Conference 2025, we will be showcasing these engineering achievements and inviting customers to join our early adopter program to start delivering measurable business outcomes. 

Exclusive Interview with Amit Malhotra, Group Head of Retail Banking, ADIB

1. You launched the remittance service “Remit!” this month in collaboration with Visa. Why might this service contribute to the expansion of your business? How have customers responded to it? And is it limited to the UAE market, which is seeing a growing influx of migrant labour?

The launch of “Remit!” with Visa represents an important milestone for ADIB, expanding our product portfolio and meeting the evolving needs of customers who increasingly require secure, rapid, and cost-effective remittance solutions. It also reflects the bank’s unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and financial inclusion.

The UAE, with its large and growing expat population, provides a strong foundation for such services, and remittances remain a critical financial lifeline for many residents. ADIB’s new service leverages the power of Visa’s global network to deliver fast, reliable, and transparent cross-border transfers. This offering not only reinforces ADIB’s position as a leader in digital banking solutions but also addresses the evolving needs of a diverse customer base in one of the world’s largest remittance markets. With a large and ever-growing expatriate population, the demand for secure, rapid, and cost-effective remittance solutions is essential and

the launch of “Remit!” with Visa Direct is a strategic response to the UAE’s unique market dynamics. Visa Direct, known for its real-time payment capabilities, empowers ADIB customers to send funds internationally with unprecedented ease and speed. Transfers that once took days can now be completed within hours—This “remittance at your fingertips” approach transforms the user experience, removing traditional barriers and complexities that have long characterized cross-border payments.

Early feedback has been highly encouraging. Customers value the seamless integration with Visa’s global network, which allows transfers to be completed within hours rather than days. They also appreciate the user-friendly app interface, responsive customer support, and the added confidence of Visa’s robust security protocols. These features have proven particularly reassuring for first-time remittance users.

At present, “Remit!” is tailored for the UAE market. However, given the scale of Visa’s infrastructure, the platform is designed with future scalability in mind, creating potential for expansion into other markets with similar demand.

2. What is the volume of investments the bank has injected into new products since the beginning of the year, and what are your expectations for the fourth quarter?

ADIB has consistently invested in new products throughout the year as part of its broader commitment to innovation and growth solidifying its reputation as a market leader in Islamic banking. While specific figures are not disclosed, our strategy prioritizes supporting emerging opportunities and diversifying our product offerings. These include fractional sukuk This innovative product allows a wider range of customers to participate in sukuk investments by lowering the minimum investment threshold, making Islamic finance more accessible and flexible.

Looking to the fourth quarter, we expect momentum to remain strong, with a focus on solutions that address evolving customer needs and position ADIB for sustained long-term growth. The Exceed Rewards Program provides customers with enhanced opportunities to earn and redeem points across a variety of partners and platforms. This program is tailored to deepen customer engagement and loyalty while offering tangible value. Enhanced ATM and CDM Machines: Investment in upgraded ATM and Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs) has modernized branch and self-service banking. These machines now offer improved reliability, increased security, and expanded functionality, catering to evolving customer expectations for convenience and efficiency. In response to the growing demand for digital banking, ADIB has rolled out more than 30 new digital services. These encompass everything from account management and mobile payments to advanced analytics and customer support, ensuring that clients have access to seamless, secure, and personalized banking experiences.

 Looking to the fourth quarter, we expect momentum to remain strong, with a focus on solutions that address evolving customer needs and position ADIB for sustained long-term growth.

3. Do you intend to launch a new product before the end of the current year?

Innovation remains a central focus for ADIB, and this year has already seen the successful launch of market-first offerings, including the pioneering Smart Sukuk platform. Our strong pipeline of new initiatives reflects this momentum.

While details cannot be shared at this stage, we are actively developing a range of products designed to set new benchmarks in Islamic finance and digital banking. As the year progresses, we expect to announce further launches that demonstrate our commitment to delivering value-driven, Sharia-compliant solutions.

4. How many fractional sukuks are currently available on the bank’s platform launched this year, and what is their total size?

ADIB’s Smart Sukuk platform currently offers around 70 sukuk listings, representing a diverse and high-quality suite of Sharia-compliant fixed-income securities. These listings provide retail investors with access to opportunities that were previously reserved for institutional players.

The platform’s fractional model has lowered the minimum investment threshold from USD 200,000 to just USD 1,000, significantly broadening access and participation. Each sukuk varies by issuer, maturity, yield, and asset structure, enabling investors to build well-diversified portfolios in line with their financial objectives.

5. What are your financial performance expectations for the bank this year, in terms of growth of profit and returns?

Building on strong momentum in the first half of the year, we expect continued momentum. This performance will be underpinned by solid demand in customer finance, particularly in retail, where ADIB now holds the leading market share in personal and home finance.

Our strategy also emphasizes diversification, with a clear focus on growing non-funded income and fee-based revenues to ensure greater stability and sustainability. With our strong market position and resilient operating model, we are confident in our ability to deliver superior returns and long-term value for all stakeholders.

6. Does the bank have any new expansion plans in existing markets or plans to enter new markets next year?

Our near-term focus is on deepening our presence in core markets where ADIB already enjoys a strong footprint, such as the UAE and Egypt. The priority is to strengthen relationships with existing customers by enhancing cross-sell opportunities, upgrading digital platforms, and expanding advisory and support services.

By tailoring solutions and offering integrated product bundles, we aim to deliver more value and build lasting relationships. This approach ensures that growth is sustainable, while leveraging ADIB’s strong brand reputation in markets where we already have scale and expertise.

Today, CMF announced the launch of the CMF Headphone Pro, its first set of over-ear ANC Headphones. The new CMF Headphone Pro brings a pop of color to the legacy over-ear Headphones Category. The headphone is the earliest of personal audio, and today CMF reimagines this legacy category to bring the beauty of cutting edge engineering in a wonderfully designed form factor that is sure to bring joy and smile to the faces of anyone who gets to play around with it. CMF brings a touch of true personalisation, starting from the customisable cushion design to the Intuitive on-device controls and sound personalisation using the Nothing X app.

Remix Everything with CMF Headphone Pro
Headphone Pro features a unique modular design which brings both the beauty of modern playful aesthetics with the three fun colorways, Light Grey, Dark Grey and Light Green, but adds on to the modularity with swappable ear cushions that can allow users to completely change the look of their headphones and to customise sound according to their personal needs. What makes the Headphone Pro truly standalone are the intuitive controls on the headphones. The feeling of physical buttons that respond to your actions is irreplaceable, and hence we’ve implemented that on the CMF Headphone Pro in the shape of a Roller that helps control volume, ANC, and Play and Pause. Along with this comes for the very first time an Energy Slider which helps you switch between varying levels of Bass and Treble that can be adjusted based on the energy of the song that you’re listening to. These along with a customisable Button makes the CMF Headphone Pro a truly unique visual and tactile experience.

It brings Active Noise Cancellation implemented with a comfortable seal and highly power efficient chip. The Hybrid ANC brings up to 40dB of noise cancellation. CMF’s engineering teams have implemented adaptive noise cancellation that detects the level of ambient noise and adjusts ANC accordingly to provide the best experience.

CMF Headphone Pro brings high fidelity sound in the palm of your hands, with a custom-made 40mm driver along with Hi-res and LDAC. The whole setup is powered by custom-made 40mm Nickel Plated Drivers providing a high-fidelity, low distortion listening experience. CMF Headphone Pro also brings Personal Sound that adapts itself to each individual’s ear canal shape to provide a truly personalised experience.

CMF’s engineering teams have attained an incredible feat with the CMF Headphone Pro, bringing an unparalleled power efficiency to the battery. The Headphone Pro can provide up to 100 hours of playback on a single charge. Allowing for a worry-free listening experience that can last for days on end.

Modular Design
Interchangeable Cushions
CMF Headphone Pro brings personalisation to the forefront with interchangeable ear cushions that lets every listener make it truly their own. More than just a functional detail, this design transforms headphones into an extension of the user’s personality – giving them the freedom to adapt colours, reflect moods, and create a look that’s uniquely theirs.

Tactile Controls
Headphone Pro puts precision at your fingertips with intuitive, responsive controls. The Energy Slider lets you shape sound in real time, adjusting between bass and treble levels to match your mood. The Roller makes volume, playback, and noise control seamless with simple scrolls and presses. And with a customisable Button, you can access features like Spatial Audio or one touch access to AI instantly – smart control designed around you.

Immersive listening
Hybrid Adaptive ANC
Hybrid Adaptive ANC automatically adjusts to your surroundings, shifting between three levels of noise control. With up to 40 dB noise reduction it cuts chatter and everyday distractions so every detail comes through with clarity and comfort, all while reducing listening fatigue.

Spatial Audio
Spatial Audio makes movies and music feel more real by surrounding you with sound. Cinema mode widens the stage for clear dialogue and effects, while Concert mode brings the depth and energy of live music.

Precision Sound
LDAC + Hi-Res Certified Audio
Stream music in high resolution, wired or wireless. LDAC ensures highest fidelity Bluetooth audio up to 990 kbps, and dual Hi-Res certifications ensure consistent clarity and precision across formats. Every note sounds detailed and true.

40mm Custom Drivers
CMF Headphone Pro uses 40 mm drivers with nickel-plated diaphragms for reduced distortion and sharper clarity. A 16.5 mm copper voice coil, precision bass duct, and dual-chamber design deliver deeper, fuller sound with rich texture and punch.

Personal Sound
Everyone hears differently – not just in preference, but in the way each individual’s ear canal is shaped and their hearing sensitivities affect sound perception. That’s why CMF Headphone Pro uses Audiodo technology to build a Personal Sound profile unique to you.

100 Hour battery
Headphone Pro delivers up to 100 hours of playback and up to 50 hours of talk time on a single charge. Even with ANC on, you’ll get up to 50 hours of playback, giving you long-lasting performance without interruptions.

Charge on the go
A quick 5-minute charge gives up to 4 hours of listening, while a full recharge takes under 2 hours via USB-C. You can even top up directly from your smartphone on-the-go, simply connect your smartphone with the CMF headphone pro using a type-c to type-c cable, keeping Headphone Pro ready with zero downtime.

Price & Availability:
CMF Headphone Pro will be available in three color variants, Dark Grey, Light Green, and Light Grey for AED/ SAR 369 in all key retail partners such as SharafDG, Jumbo, Jarir Bookstore, Lulu Hypermarket, Al Haddad and many more.