(MENAFN- Weber Shandwick) Dubai, UAE – October 16, 2025 – Al-Futtaim has collaborated with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to execute a landmark digital core migration and transformation for Al-Futtaim Automotive, moving directly from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA on Microsoft Azure through RISE with SAP. As one of the largest SAP transformations in the region, this program strengthens the division’s end-to-end operations and positions it to lead the future of mobility.
Working in collaboration with SAP, SNP, proaxia and Al-Futtaim, IBM Consulting delivered the program with less than 48 hours of downtime, saving the business 8-10 days of potential operational losses, despite the scale and complexity of the task. The transformation involved consolidating more than 2 billion records (nearly 20 TB of data), remediating 50,000 authorization objects, modernizing 17 years of historical data and custom code, validating over 27,000 test cases with a pass rate of 98% in the first round of execution, and re-establishing more than 550 integrations – all with pin-point precision and zero delays to the planned timeline.
Al-Futtaim Automotive took advantage of IBM’s Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA methodology, which allows selective data transition so customers can leave behind obsolete records and configurations. Predefined templates guide each step, while automation tools reduce manual effort, creating a predictable, faster path to go-live.
This achievement marks the latest phase in Al-Futtaim’s S/4HANA on RISE journey. A previous phase, covering Al-Futtaim Retail and other business units, also went live seamlessly without a single Priority 1 defect, demonstrating the strength of the collective collaboration with IBM Consulting in driving the transformation forward.
Highlighting the success of the project, Himanshu Shrivastava , Chief Technology Officer at Al-Futtaim, remarked: “At Al-Futtaim, our commitment to innovation and excellence drives us to unify our operations through advanced technologies. Establishing our new SAP S/4HANA Digital Core is a pivotal milestone that enhances our ability to innovate, operate with agility, and deliver world-class services across all our business units. This achievement underscores the power of collaboration and the strategic importance of technology in shaping our future.”
Lula Mohanty, Managing Partner, IBM Consulting Middle East & Africa, said: “Successfully migrating such a large and complex automotive business directly to SAP S/4HANA on Microsoft Azure with Rise showcases the combined expertise and precision of this collaboration. By working side by side with Al-Futtaim and our ecosystem partners, we have created a resilient and future-ready digital backbone that unlocks new opportunities for efficiency, innovation, and customer-centric growth.”
Marwan Zeineddine, Managing Director, SAP UAE, added: “Al-Futtaim Automotive’s bold leap to SAP S/4HANA on RISE, achieved with minimal downtime in collaboration with IBM, is a landmark in scaling operations amid complexity. At SAP, we are proud to partner in this game-changing transformation, equipping the UAE’s mobility sector with AI-ready capabilities that enhance efficiency, agility, and global competitiveness.”
While many enterprises stagger their journey to S/4HANA and Rise, Al-Futtaim accelerated the process, completing both in a single, unified transformation program. By establishing a unified digital core, Al-Futtaim Automotive gains the ability to accelerate financial closing, improve integration across its supply chain, and introduce new AI-powered services in the future. The migration also underscores Al-Futtaim’s commitment to sustainable growth and innovation, aligning with the UAE’s national digital transformation vision.

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