Datalex, the Irish technology company has signed a deal with Saudi Arabian Airlines to develop an Internet booking engine which will connect its SARS reservation system using the latest version of the Datalex BookIt! platform.
Mr Neil Wilson, head of Datalex's sales and business development said the deal is the result of a push by the company aimed at developing the Middle East as a new market.
"Datalex is well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities and challenges presented by the Middle Eastern market which will enable us to continue our strong growth within all sectors of the industry," Mr Wilson said at the airline's global sales conference in Jeddah.
"We have recently appointed Altar in Turkey, as value added reseller of Datalex's technology and are reviewing other distributor relationships throughout the rest of the Middle East."
Saudi Arabian Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the Middle East, carrying over 13 million passengers a year.
"It is very encouraging to see the world's leading airlines including Saudi Arabian Airlines actively pursuing their e-commerce strategies and opening up new distribution channels to interact with their customers," said Mr Neil Beck, CEO, Datalex.
The new booking engine will also link into Saudi Arabian Airlines' frequent flyer program Al Fursan, providing the airline's most important customers with a new level of service online.
The product will be initially launched in the domestic Saudi Arabian market, which accounts for most of Saudi Arabian Airlines' sales. The rollout to international markets will follow shortly after that.
Datalex is hosting the booking engine for Saudi Arabian Airlines at its facility in Atlanta, USA.
Founded in 1985, Datalex headquarters are in Dublin but it maintains offices throughout the world in Europe, the US and Asia.
Saudi Arabian Airlines is one of the world's major airlines and ranks 15th among the 165 member airlines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).