Astra Tech and JW Group Join Forces to Empower Pak Expats

DUBAI: Astra Tech, the leading consumer technology holding group in the MENA region, is proud to announce its joint venture with JW Holdings, a bouquet of business lines including home appliances, electronics, automotive, glassware, packaging, agriculture, retail, e-commerce, sports and foundation, and the parent company of Ruba Digital (RD).

The collaboration will innovatively integrate RD within the Botim ultra app’s e-store, allowing users in the UAE to purchase a wide range of consumer durables to be delivered in Pakistan through RD’s extensive retail chain network of 150+ outlets, spanning across 130 cities.

In addition to providing a seamless, cross-border electronic shopping experience through the ultra app, Pakistani expats based in the UAE will benefit from Shariah-compliant financing options up to 12 instalments, offering added convenience and financial ease.

This strategic partnership is a significant milestone for Astra Tech, reflecting its commitment to harnessing technology and strategic alliances to cater to diverse customer needs. It also brings RD’s extensive presence in the Pakistani market to offer reliability and trust for the ultra app users, as they deliver purchased items to friends or family in Pakistan.

Speaking on the joint venture, Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Founder of Astra Tech and CEO of Botim, said: “Our partnership with JW Holdings marks another step in our mission to simplify people’s everyday lives through digital sovereignty. The integration of RD into the Botim e-store enables us to make advanced solutions accessible to Pakistani expats in the UAE, making the process of purchasing and delivering items to friends and family based in Pakistan easy. By ensuring a seamless user experience and introducing Shariah-compliant financing options, we remain steadfast in our commitment to enhancing the lives of our users and meeting their diverse needs, while offering a range of inclusive financial services.”

Muhammad Javed Afridi, Chief Executive Officer of JW Holdings, commented: “JW Holdings group is glad to announce the breakthrough of its new venture with esteemed international partner Astra Tech. With unwavering focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, JW Holdings through its retail channel RD, will revolutionise the way of shopping consumer durables for its consumers living in the UAE.

He added: “Through their Botim app, Pakistani expats can easily connect with their loved ones living far beyond the borders but always nearer to their heart. Shopping through the Botim stores while sitting in the UAE, with the deliveries bound in Pakistan for their families, will be a unique and unprecedented experience for users who can easily opt either for cash settlement or for Shariah-compliant instalment financing plans.”

Botim users outside of the UAE can still purchase consumer electronics from RD through the ultra app to have them delivered in Pakistan, however, Shariah-compliant instalment financing plans are currently only available to users in the UAE.

Together, Astra Tech and JW Holdings are unveiling new avenues of innovation for Pakistani expats in the UAE, who make up 12.69 percent of the country’s population according to Global Media Insights, bridging the gap and making cross-border shopping convenient, accessible, and financially feasible, with plans to launch in other countries.