Transforming Digital Car Rental Experience in KSA
Overview
When I joined Lumi in September 2023, the car rental market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was rapidly evolving. I took ownership of building and maintaining the end-to-end digital booking experience for rental services (car, bike, bus) that would differentiate Lumi in the competitive KSA market while driving sustainable growth. Working closely with marketing, business leadership, product design, and engineering teams, I led initiatives that resulted in 120% YoY customer acquisition growth and 26% YoY retention improvement.
The Challenge
Limited Digital Innovation: The market lacked native in-app rental extension experiences
Fragmented Customer Journey: Users had to exit apps to extend rentals or manage bookings
Low Customer Retention: Limited incentives for repeat bookings
Growth Plateau: Customer acquisition was stagnating in a competitive market
Strategic Approach
Customer-First Innovation
Conducted deep-dive into user pain points through research and analytics, mapped the entire customer journey to identify friction points, and prioritized features that would deliver immediate value.
Market Differentiation
Analyzed competitor offerings in the KSA market, identified white space opportunities, and focused on first-to-market innovations to establish competitive advantage.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Aligned stakeholders on product vision and roadmap, established clear communication channels between teams, and created feedback loops for continuous improvement.
Key Initiatives
Problem
Customers had to call customer service or visit physical locations to extend their rental periods, leading to friction, poor experience, and drop-offs.
Solution
- Developed seamless in-app extension feature with real-time availability checking
- Enabled one-tap rental extensions with instant payment processing
- Implemented immediate confirmation system with automated notifications
- Created self-service flow reducing dependency on customer support
Impact
Market-first innovation in KSA, positioning Lumi as a technology leader and significantly reducing customer service load.
Results & Impact
Qualitative Impact
Key Learnings
1Market Context Matters
Understanding the unique dynamics of the KSA market—from payment preferences to customer behavior patterns—was crucial for product success. Local insights drove better feature prioritization.
2First-Mover Advantage
Being first to market with the in-app extension feature created significant brand value and customer trust. Speed to market is a competitive advantage in fast-moving markets.
3Integration is Key
The loyalty program integration proved that strategic partnerships can be as valuable as native feature development. Build vs. partner decisions should be strategic.
4Data-Driven Iteration
Continuous monitoring and rapid iteration based on user data was essential for maintaining growth momentum. Weekly data reviews enabled quick pivots.
5Cross-Functional Alignment
Regular sync-ups with business, marketing, and engineering teams prevented silos and accelerated delivery. Shared metrics drove unified focus.
Skills Demonstrated
Future Roadmap
- AI-powered personalized recommendations based on user behavior
- Fleet management optimization for better availability
- Expansion to additional vehicle categories (luxury, electric)
- Advanced analytics dashboard for business customers
- Sustainability initiatives with EV fleet integration
- Cross-border rental capabilities for regional travel