The Year of Internet – 1998

It all started at the beginning of 1998 when KACST (King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology) was looking for a company to help them open the internet in Saudi Arabia. Against all the odds, they chose a small Finnish company, Nixu Midle-East, for the job. 

So, six young engineers flew to KSA to work together with KACST team and the rest is history. The internet was open on the 15th of December 1998. The Finnish team’s leader was Oiva Karppinen, later a major shareholder of NXme (through MBO) and Oivan Group (a merger between IWA and NXme). Below in the picture Oiva signing the agreement with the KACST in 1998.

Later, the organization name to maintain and monitor the Internet in KSA changed to CITC (Communication And Information Technology Commission). Still, the cooperation continued through the years, as the Oivan team remained a solid part of the CITC organization. Below picture of CITC with Oivan team members.

Strong Foothold and Customer Base in the KSA Begin To Form

As the years unfolded, Oivan’s growth narrative was marked by significant achievements, none more so than in 2017, when we were chosen to spearhead the development of the Sakani platform for the National Housing Company (NHC). This project was not merely about building a digital platform; it was about crafting a comprehensive ecosystem that empowered Saudi citizens to engage seamlessly with government housing initiatives.

With agility and precision, Oivan delivered the first iteration of this groundbreaking system within an impressive 1.5 months. It served as the nexus for real estate developers and the Ministry of Housing, streamlining the process of project registration and market release. The platform evolved to facilitate citizens in securing bank loan promises and reserving housing units, even coordinating a multitude of off-plan sales events across the nation. Our commitment to continuous improvement ensures that development is ongoing.

Below Ryan Alaql, Chief of Solutions Sector from NHC visiting Finland in 2022 and celebrating 5 years co-operation with Oivan’s CEO Rami Korhonen, CCO Tapio Äijälä and CTO Jussi Virtanen.

During the years, we have had the privilege of working with numerous government and private entities, including esteemed organizations like NHC, CST, SDAIA, NEOM, SEEC, Ministry of Finance, STC, ROSHN, Tadawul, and NCGR, among others.

Celebration of 25 Years in a Big Way

Our 25th-anniversary celebration was graciously hosted by Her Excellency Ambassador Anu-Eerika Viljanen at the Finnish Embassy in Riyadh—a fitting venue to reflect on our shared successes and forge our vision for the future.

With heartfelt gratitude, we thank our esteemed customers, partners, investors, and the diligent Oivan team for making this extraordinary journey possible. As we look ahead, our resolve strengthens not only to meet the aspirations of Vision 2030 but to transcend them, continuing to innovate and excel in the decades to come.

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