15 May 2017
Jordan selected as top choice among locations in the Middle East, Europe and Asia

Amman, Jordan – AZADEA Group, the premier lifestyle retail company, managing 50+ brands in 13 Levant countries, has launched the first-of-its-kind Shared Service Center in Jordan providing job opportunities to Jordanian citizens and further positioning the country as a destination of choice for foreign investments. With an initial investment of more than $8 million, the AZADEA Shared Service Center (ASSC) will cater to the needs of AZADEA’s operations in eight markets across the Middle East including Jordan, Bahrain, KSA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and UAE, providing support across four primary shared business functions: accounting, payroll, stock management, and supply planning.

“At AZADEA, we’ve been creating a culture of possibilities and empowerment for more than 12,000 employees across the region for nearly 40 years,” said Walid Chahine, Chief Operating Officer, AZADEA Group. “The launch of our first-ever Shared Service Center marks a milestone achievement in operational management, focusing on excellence and specialization of human talent. The creation of the new ASCC will help pave our way for centralizing talent and expanding on our work efficiency using high-end technology solutions.”

The annual running costs for the ASSC are estimated at $4 million, with the total number of staff employed set at around 200+ employees. AZADEA seeks to build on its mission of becoming an employer of choice, especially after being selected as one of the top companies to work for by the “Jordan Business Magazine” and the LinkedIn Employer of Choice Award in 2016. The ASSC will thus invest in people’s skills and offer career advancements to better encourage a healthy and productive working environment.

Jordan was chosen as the location for the ASSC following an extensive selection process among locations in the Middle East, Europe and Asia focusing on a number of criteria including infrastructure, business and regulatory environment, financial considerations, talent pool and accessibility. After around 17 years in the Jordanian market AZADEA had a solid belief that it is the best country to choose among thanks to a number of unique attributes that distinguish this country.

“Jordan was the ideal location for our investment thanks to several human and economic attributes such as the pool of talent in core departments like accounting and logistics, as well as the stable currency, solid infrastructure and political security which made Jordan standout as our country of choice,” explained Chahine.

AZADEA’s long-term strategy for the ASSC is to evolve the center to include the migration of more business functions through a phased integration plan.

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About AZADEA 
About Azadea Group Holding SAL
Azadea Group is a premier lifestyle retail company that owns and operates more than 50 leading international franchise concepts across the Middle East and Africa.  Since its inception in 1978, the Group has grown a substantial chain of stores representing leading international brand names in fashion and accessories, food and beverage, home furnishings, sporting goods, multimedia and beauty & cosmetics.  With over 12,000 employees, the company boasts a solid infrastructure overseeing more than 650 stores spread across 13 countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

For more information, please visit www.azadea.com.

For media inquiries, please contact: 
Maha Al Rawashdeh
TRACCS Jordan
jordan@traccs.net

© Press Release 2017