‘Work 3.0’: Workspace booking platform Hotdesk eyes Saudi Arabia expansion

On-demand workspace booking platform Hotdesk has announced its intention to expand into Saudi Arabia, following a year of growth in its services in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

Hotdesk’s sights within the Middle Eastern region are fixed on its next immediate launch in the Kingdom, as cities such as Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah present emerging local hubs for co-working, as well as company growth and talent.

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With more women joining the Saudi workforce, and a major decrease in the Kingdom’s unemployment rate, Saudi Arabia represents a natural move for Hotdesk, the start-up said in a statement on Tuesday, as it provides alternative working models for the digitally connected.

The company’s on-demand booking service for desks, meeting rooms and offices by the hour, day, month or year will likely support this ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, by giving business travellers and local companies whose staff work remotely access to a wide range of workspaces to meet their needs.

Coining the term ‘work 3.0,’ co-Founder and CEO of Hotdesk Mohamed Khaled is on a mission to reinvent the “New Work Order.”

“In a pre-pandemic world, it was 100 percent work from the office, no thought needed. During the pandemic, it was 100 percent work from home - where we witnessed new technologies to enable remote work."

“Now, we are in the twilight zone of hybrid “Work 3.0”, where different people, countries, companies, and jobs will require us to tap into the full real estate spectrum of office, home, and co-working spaces on-demand. Hybrid work needs new, innovative technologies to come to life.”

Initially launched in Dubai, Hotdesk has built a strong market share in the UAE and Egypt.

In less than a year since its inception, the company experienced tremendous growth, from 15 bookings in its first month to more than 10,000 bookings per month.

In order to meet the growing demand for workspaces, Hotdesk has on-boarded co-working spaces in over 40 countries and in more than 170 cities across the globe.

Hotdesk was among the first tech startups incorporated at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The company has since brought on talent from Careem, Uber, Swvl, and Google as it looks to harness the brightest minds to support its strong growth ambitions.

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