logo
Zoho launches projects plus a smart, AI-Powered project management solution for enterprises in MENA

Zoho launches projects plus a smart, AI-Powered project management solution for enterprises in MENA

Times of Oman18-03-2025
Muscat: Zoho Corp., a leading global technology company, has launched Projects Plus, a new, collaborative platform designed to simplify and enhance project management for mid-sized and large businesses across the MENA region. With native integration tools like Zoho Projects, WorkDrive, Analytics, and Sprints, Projects Plus streamlines project workflows, file management, real-time business intelligence, and flexible collaboration, supporting both flexible 'Agile' and structured 'Waterfall' project management methodologies.
Building on the success of Zoho Projects, which saw rapid growth in 2024 with 55% of new users migrating from tools like Microsoft Project and JIRA, Projects Plus addresses the operational complexities faced by organisations in the MENA region.
Zoho Projects is one of the company's top-selling products in Oman with an annual revenue increase of 125% since 2023 and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is the product's fastest-growing market globally. Projects Plus, now a platform, expands across four key areas: data democratisation, AI, hybrid project management, and collaborative work management.
"Like many of our enterprise solutions, Zoho Projects Plus was developed to deliver supreme value and meet the needs our customers had been demonstrating within our software suite, particularly between Zoho Projects and Zoho Analytics," says Hyther Nizam, President Middle East and Africa (MEA), Zoho. "Projects Plus synthesises the latest AI-driven tools, data-first analytics, and privacy-focused protections into software that anticipates the evolving needs of international Enterprise organisations, expanding Zoho's global reach."
Zoho's Projects Plus platform takes project management to the next level by embracing data-driven project management, shifting away from intuition-based decision-making to a data and analytics-driven approach. By leveraging data from various aspects like time tracking, budgeting, task completion, and team performance, Projects Plus transforms this information into actionable insights. Key features include predictive analysis to forecast risks, estimate timelines, and plan resources more efficiently. This proactive approach allows businesses to manage project outcomes and mitigate risks before they arise.
Additionally, Projects Plus offers real-time progress tracking and bottleneck analysis, replacing traditional static tools with dynamic dashboards that provide up-to-the-minute project status updates. With features like quality control analytics, it ensures that deliverables meet predefined standards throughout the project lifecycle, further enhancing efficiency.
The platform's integration with Zoho's AI engine, Zia, adds advanced AI and machine learning capabilities to automate complex data analysis. Zia helps project managers make smarter decisions by offering predictive insights and optimising key aspects of project management. This includes improved efficiency and productivity by identifying bottlenecks, smarter resource allocation by matching skills to tasks, and more accurate forecasting and planning to avoid delays and cost overruns.
Projects Plus also seamlessly integrates with Zoho's extensive software suite as well as third-party tools like Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, and popular collaboration, analytics, and customer service applications, making it a versatile solution for businesses looking to streamline project management and drive better outcomes.
Zoho Projects supports Arabic Right-to-Left (RTL) and offers an Arabic user interface. Projects Plus is designed to meet the needs of industries like retail, e-commerce, construction, manufacturing, and automotive, offering a flexible solution for businesses across various sectors in the MENA region.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Agreement inked to provide low-income segments with home ventilators
Agreement inked to provide low-income segments with home ventilators

Times of Oman

timea day ago

  • Times of Oman

Agreement inked to provide low-income segments with home ventilators

Muscat: The Ministry of Health on Thursday signed a funding agreement with Oman India Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO) to purchase ventilators for patients from low-income and social security segments. The agreement was signed by Saud Amer Al Nudhairi, the Ministry's Director General of Financial Affairs, and Khalid Mohammed Al Fannah Al Araimi, OMIFCO's Director of Sustainability and Institutional Communication. Al Nudhairi stressed the importance of partnerships between the government sector and other sectors in the Sultanate of Oman to serve members of the public. He hailed the company's noble initiative which, he observed, has been undertaken for the sixth time in a row. For his part, Al Araimi expressed his appreciation for the Health Ministry's ongoing partnership in supporting needy segments of society. The devices minimises the need for hospitalisation, improves the quality of life for patients and provides better monitoring and control of health conditions. They are an essential part of some home care programmes as they provide a safe and sustainable option for some patients who require long-term mechanical ventilation outside the hospital.

Over 800 Omani professionals employed in water projects
Over 800 Omani professionals employed in water projects

Times of Oman

timea day ago

  • Times of Oman

Over 800 Omani professionals employed in water projects

Muscat — Nama Water Services has announced the creation of more than 800 new job opportunities in project-related roles within supporting companies, including consultants and contractors executing strategic projects across various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman. The announcement was made during a media briefing held today at the Main Water Monitoring and Control Center in the Wilayat of Bawshar. This initiative aligns with the company's commitment to enhancing national workforce participation in vital projects and supporting Omanization efforts in supporting companies across advanced technical and administrative fields, including health and safety, project management, surveying, and various engineering disciplines. These opportunities are part of strategic projects worth over RO 1 billion, covering multiple governorates and involving the construction and expansion of water transmission and distribution networks. Qais Saud Al Zakwani, CEO of Nama Water Services, stated that these job openings reflect the company's strategic direction to strengthen national human capital, urging supporting companies to align hiring directly with current project needs in the water and sanitation sector. He added that the provision of over 800 new jobs by contractors and consultants working on Nama's projects represents a qualitative step in supporting employment efforts and broadening opportunities for Omani youth to develop their skills and contribute to vital projects serving the nation. He noted that new employees will gain hands-on experience by engaging in fieldwork and project execution, enhancing their readiness to support sector sustainability. On his turn, Eng. Abdullah Salim Al Rasbi, CEO of Development Projects at Nama Water Services, emphasized that the new jobs provide direct support to the projects sector by integrating skilled Omani professionals capable of immediate field engagement. He highlighted that these national talents add real value—not only by meeting job demands but also by acquiring advanced technical skills and knowledge transfer from experienced teams to young cadres, ensuring sustained performance and sector growth. The available roles span diverse technical and administrative fields, including project management, engineering (various disciplines), health and safety engineering, quantity surveying, consultancy services, human resources, public relations, and logistical support. The hiring strategy balances fresh graduates and experienced professionals to foster intergenerational knowledge exchange. These positions will be allocated to strategic projects, including the expansion of water transmission networks, new water and sewage networks, and smart monitoring and control systems, enhancing sector efficiency and service quality. The media briefing also reviewed ongoing projects, such as reinforced water transmission lines, distribution networks, storage tanks, and related water infrastructure across governorates, with a total cost exceeding RO 1 billion.

Lulu Retail reports H1 revenue of $4.1 billion, up 5.9% YoY. Posts a 9.
Lulu Retail reports H1 revenue of $4.1 billion, up 5.9% YoY. Posts a 9.

Times of Oman

timea day ago

  • Times of Oman

Lulu Retail reports H1 revenue of $4.1 billion, up 5.9% YoY. Posts a 9.

Muscat: Lulu Retail has announced its H1 2025 financial results, delivering a solid 9.1% year-on-year increase in net profit to $127.0 million. Revenues rose to $4.1 billion (up 5.9% YoY), and like-for-like sales increased by 3.8%, driven by robust performance across key categories. In Q2 2025, the company reported revenues of $2.0 billion, up 4.6% YoY with a strong sales growth. This performance was bolstered by continued growth in private label and the e-commerce category. Private label grew 3.5% YoY, accounting for 29.7% of retail revenue, while e-commerce maintained its momentum with sales up 43.4% YoY to $108 million, representing 5.6% of retail revenue. Gross profit increased 6.5% YoY to $468 million. EBITDA grew 7.6% YoY to $204 million. The jump was supported by growth in private label and ecommerce sales, and as per plans, to open 20 new stores in 2025 Declares interim dividend of $98.4 million (3.5 fils per share): Lulu Retail has declared an interim dividend of $98.4 million (3.5 fils per share), corresponding to a payout ratio of 78% of H1 2025 distributable profits—consistent with the IPO dividend policy. Key Highlights – H1 2025 * Revenue: $4.1 billion (up 5.9% YoY), driven by strong volume and category growth * EBITDA: $418 million (up 7.0% YoY); Q2 2025: $204 million (up 7.6% YoY). Margins improved by 28 basis points in Q2. * Net Profit: $127 million (up 9.1% YoY), with a net margin of 3.1% * Private Label Growth: Up 3.5% YoY in Q2, accounting for 29.7% of retail revenue * E-commerce: Q2 sales up 43.4% YoY to $108 million (5.6% of retail revenue); 45.4% increase in customer count YoY * Loyalty Program: The Happiness loyalty program added 1 million new members during the quarter, bringing total membership to 7.3 million. * Store Expansion: Seven new stores opened in H1 plus 4 more in July, taking the total to 259; full-year target of 20 new stores remains on track * Growth Strategy: Private label and e-commerce continue to play pivotal roles in Lulu's growth approach 'Our steady and resilient H1 2025 performance is a testament to our well-established growth pillars, enabling record sales and margin improvements. We expect our growth momentum to persist as we focus on expanding our store network, launching new outlets, enhancing operational efficiency, and unlocking further potential through private label and e-commerce offerings,' said Saifee Rupawala, CEO of Lulu Retail. Regional Performance: * UAE (largest market): Q2 revenue up 9.4% YoY, driven by continued high demand for fresh food and supported by Lulu's omnichannel strategy * Saudi Arabia (KSA): Revenue grew 3.8% YoY, aided by strong electrical goods sales and new store openings * Kuwait: Revenue up 4.9% YoY; consistent positive performance

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store