The Challenge
Standing up a new shipping and logistics operation to efficiently support regional food security
The Solution
A rapid implementation of IMOS with the full support of Veson’s expert services team
Key Results
Immediate operational readiness and a stable digital foundation supporting large-scale grain imports
Established in 2020, National Grain Company (NGC) was formed through a joint venture between SALIC, a major player in food investment, and Bahri, a global leader in shipping. With a mission to strengthen food security across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East, NGC is leveraging digital transformation to build operational resilience from the ground up.
Why did National Grain Company choose IMOS before beginning operations?
Khalid Alotaibi, Head of Technology at National Grain Company (NGC), shares how IMOS was selected as a core part of the company’s technology stack before operations even began—driven by a commitment to usability, trusted recommendations, and long-term strategic goals.
“One of our strategies in technology is the customer experience. So this is the major pillar,” Khalid explains. “We need to make sure that any system onboarding to the NGC is user friendly.”
NGC selected IMOS based on a strong recommendation from Bahri, which has long relied on the system. “National Grain Company was choosing IMOS because it has been proposed by our parent company, which is Bahri, and they have been using IMOS for 10 years now,” he says.
Beyond the recommendation, Khalid and his team were eager to explore how the system could support NGC’s unique needs in shipping and logistics. “We already have a good recommendation for IMOS and we are excited to see the product and how it can help us in our shipping needs going forward,” he says. “We aim to provide food security in the Kingdom and we hope IMOS will help us to reach our objective.”
How would you describe the onboarding experience with Veson?
As a startup focused on speed and productivity, NGC needed a solution that could be implemented quickly and effectively. According to Khalid, the onboarding experience with Veson exceeded expectations—both in quality and speed.
“I could see this is the first time that I see rapid implementation, which is fantastic – I like it and I apply it,” he says. “This is what we are looking for because we are a startup company. We are looking for productivity, processing, or just writing many documents and approve it and etcetera.”
The support from the Veson team was a key part of that success. “We find that we have full support from the IMOS team, from the account manager, from the trainer, from the project methodology,” Khalid notes. “We are choosing the right provider, so we have, I mean, full support actually.”
How is National Grain Company contributing to Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation?
NGC’s technology journey is part of a broader national effort to embrace innovation. Khalid emphasizes how the Kingdom is advancing rapidly in areas like AI, data, and smart infrastructure—and how NGC aims to lead in that movement.
“Saudi Arabia, all Saudi Arabian and government, they are expanding rapidly on the technology side,” he says. “Even on the government side, there is AI, there is data management.”
By adopting powerful systems like IMOS early in its journey, NGC is positioning itself as a digital-first player in the region. “We are going to bring the right solution, to bring the right technology, that increase the productivity and efficiency for the business and for the economy in Saudi Arabia,” Khalid says.
“As for NGC, for example, we need to be a major player and contributor for our region for 2030.”
