Science & Sunshine wins creative brief for Yasmina by Yango
Yasmina is a bilingual, human-like voice assistant designed to serve users across the Middle East. Developed with regional fluency – both linguistic and cultural – Yasmina offers support in Arabic and English, aiming to deliver a smarter, more intuitive and localised AI experience.
As part of the mandate, Science & Sunshine will lead Yasmina's brand strategy, creative campaigns, and content storytelling as the platform scales across MENA. The partnership kicks off with launch activity in the UAE and Oman.
'Yasmina isn't just another AI assistant – she's built to speak the region's language, literally and culturally,' said Nadine Ghossoub, CEO at Science & Sunshine. 'That's a bold ambition, and one we're excited to bring to life through smart, relatable creative work.'
Rami Abu Arja, Senior Innovation Marketing Manager at Yango Group, added: 'Yasmina was designed to feel local from the first word spoken. As we expand her presence across the Middle East, we needed a creative partner who could match that cultural fluency with insightful, strategic storytelling – and Science & Sunshine fit that brief perfectly.'
The win strengthens Science & Sunshine's growing position in the region's technology and innovation sector. Alongside its work with Yasmina, the agency's wider portfolio spans entertainment, tourism, culture and lifestyle – supporting brands that are actively shaping the future of the Middle East.
Yasmina is currently rolling out in select markets, with further expansion planned across the region in 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arabian Business
an hour ago
- Arabian Business
Salik declares 100% payout as H1 earnings hit $210m following new gates and variable pricing
Dubai toll gate operator Salik has reported a sharp increase in first-half earnings for 2025, driven by new toll gates, the introduction of variable pricing, and resilient traffic volumes. Total revenue for the first six months of 2025 rose 39.5 per cent year-on-year to AED1.53bn ($415.8m), with Q2 revenue up 45.6 per cent to AED775.7m ($210.9m). EBITDA climbed 44.2 per cent in H1 to AED1.07bn ($290m), maintaining a healthy margin of 69.7 per cent. Salik results Net profit for H1 jumped 41.5 per cent to AED770.9m ($210.1m), prompting the board to recommend a cash dividend equal to 100 per cent of first-half profit — 10.278 fils per share. Salik's core tolling business handled 424.2m total trips in H1 2025, up 39.6 per cent from a year earlier, with 213.4m trips recorded in Q2 alone. Total chargeable trips rose to 160.4m in Q2, up 1.6 per cent from Q1, bolstered by a 46.7 per cent surge in peak-period trips following the November 2024 addition of two new gates. Toll usage fees for H1 rose 42.3 per cent to AED1.36bn ($370.2m), with Q2 toll fees up 49.4 per cent year-on-year to AED691.3m ($187.9m) — the first full quarter under the new variable pricing model introduced at the end of January 2025. Revenue from fines increased 15.7 per cent in H1 to AED134.3m ($36.6m), while tag activation fees rose 16.2 per cent to AED22.9m ($6.2m). Non-toll income reached AED8.7m ($2.37m) in H1, supported by partnerships with Emaar Malls and Parkonic for parking payment solutions, now active in 73 locations. Salik also continues to expand its cooperation with Liva Group to streamline vehicle insurance renewals. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Salik, said:'Salik's strong performance in the first half of 2025 underscores the strength of its resilient business model and high operational efficiency. 'During this period, the Company achieved a 39.5 per cent year-on-year increase in total revenue, further solidifying its robust financial position. 'This performance reaffirms our continued commitment to delivering long-term value for shareholders while supporting Dubai's vision of becoming a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility. 'In view of the strong first half results and our dedication to our shareholders, the Board of Directors have recommended a cash dividend of AED 770.9 million, equivalent to 10.278 fils per share, representing 100 per cent of H1 2025 profit. 'We continue to benefit from the Emirate's economic momentum, bolstered by sustained growth in tourism, real estate, and infrastructure spending. Building on this, and with continued progress across both our core tolling operations and ongoing success in expanding our ancillary revenue streams, we are pleased to be upgrading our full year 2025 guidance, with revenue expected to increase 34-36 percent compared to 2024, up from 28-29 per cent previously, and with EBITDA margins expectations in the range of 68.5-69.5 per cent. 'Our new guidance underscores our confidence in Salik's outlook and future growth potential, particularly given our commitment to strengthening our non-core offering and exploring new opportunities within ancillary revenues.' Ibrahim Sultan Al Haddad, CEO of Salik, said: 'We are pleased to report another solid quarter of performance, with a strong c.40% YoY growth across all key financial metrics including revenue, EBITDA and net profit growth. 'Our results reflect the ongoing strength of our tolling business and the growing contribution of our non-tolling initiatives, including our digital partnerships in providing mobility payment solutions which continue to gain traction among users.'
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: Now, refuel, get Cafu services at Parkin locations
From Thursday, August 14, Dubai residents will be able to avail Cafu's services across parking locations operated by Parkin. This comes after the paid public parking facilities provider entered a partnership with the on-demand fuel delivery and vehicle services platform. As part of the agreement, Cafu will offer on-demand fuel delivery and car wash services for vehicles parked at the Parkin's parking facilities. Parkin customers will be able to request fuel delivery or a car wash by clicking on the link sent through SMS or WhatsApp and, in the near future, directly through Parkin's mobile app, while Cafu users may continue to access the services via the Cafu app as usual. Beyond offering simplicity and convenience, delivering these services directly to customers will help reduce the need for multiple individual trips to fuel stations and car washes, helping to reduce traffic congestion and associated direct and indirect emissions. The pressurised wash system helps to reduce water consumption, reinforcing both companies' commitment to the UAE's Green Agenda 2030 and their role in driving a more sustainable future.
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Salik posts 41.5% profit surge, declares full payout dividend
Salik Company, Dubai's exclusive toll gate operator, has reported a record performance in the first half of 2025, with net profit after taxes rising 41.5 per cent year-on-year to Dh770.9 million. In a move reflecting confidence in its strong financial position, the board has proposed a cash dividend of the same amount, equivalent to 10.278 fils per share and representing 100 per cent of H1 profit. The company said in statement that total revenue for the period surged 39.5 per cent to Dh1.53 billion, supported by a 45.6 per cent year-on-year increase in the second quarter. Ebitda reached Dh1.07 billion in H1, up 44.2 per cent from a year earlier, with margins improving to 69.7 per cent. This performance was driven by the addition of two new toll gates in November 2024 and the first full quarter of variable pricing, introduced at the end of January 2025, alongside Dubai's strong economic momentum. Salik's tolling business remained the primary growth engine, with total chargeable trips in H1 reaching 318.4 million, including 160.4 million in the second quarter — a 1.6 per cent increase from Q1 despite seasonal factors. Toll usage fee revenue rose 42.3 per cent to Dh1.36 billion in the first half, benefiting from the variable pricing structure and expanded network. Fines contributed Dh134.3 million, up 15.7 per cent, while tag activation fees increased 16.2 per cent to Dh22.9 million. Ancillary revenue streams also gained traction, contributing Dh8.7 million in the first half. Partnerships with Emaar Malls, Parkonic, and Liva Group delivered strong results, with parking payment solutions at Dubai Mall and other locations recording higher transaction volumes. Additional initiatives, such as a collaboration with Enoc to integrate Salik payments into fuel and service stations, are expected to expand revenue diversity and enhance customer experience. Chairman of the board Mattar Al Tayer said the results underscored the company's resilience and efficiency. 'We have delivered a 39.5 per cent increase in revenue, reflecting the strength of our business model and the success of our strategy. In light of these results, we are recommending a full payout dividend of Dh770.9 million, reaffirming our commitment to delivering value to shareholders,' he said. Al Tayer added that, with ongoing growth in tourism, real estate, and infrastructure spending, Salik was upgrading its full-year 2025 guidance, now expecting revenue to grow 34–36 per cent compared with 2024, up from a previous forecast of 28–29 per cent. CEO Ibrahim Sultan Al Haddad noted that the company achieved close to 40 per cent growth across all key financial metrics in the first half. 'The performance reflects the continued strength of our core tolling business and the growing contribution of non-tolling initiatives. We have benefited from new gates, population growth, and record tourism inflows, with hotel occupancy rising to 83 per cent in the first five months of the year,' he said. Salik's free cash flow reached Dh1.11 billion in H1, up 62.4 per cent year-on-year, representing a margin of 72.8 per cent. Net debt stood at Dh4.85 billion at the end of June, with the net debt-to-Ebitda ratio improving to 2.55x, well below the debt covenant of 5.0x. The company's outlook remains positive, with revenue growth driven by network expansion, pricing optimisation, and the scaling up of ancillary services. Salik also continues to invest in human capital, increasing its workforce by 26.2 per cent year-on-year in Q2, with Emiratisation reaching 30.2 per cent and women accounting for over 20 per cent of staff.
