MySyara, the online automotive service provider in the United Arab Emirates, has acquired the on-demand car wash app known as SKKYN Technologies, it has been announced.
MySyara paid Dh10.27m (the equivalent of US$2.8m) to acquire the app.
Apps were launched earlier in 2018 by MySyara on both Android and iOS phones.
It has billed itself as being the first car maintenance app in the whole of the Middle East offering car care solutions to customers.
The acquisition of SKKYN Technologies will add a great deal of synergy to the company as it continues to add to its existing car service portfolio.
The deal is the first such acquisition to actually be made by MySyara, though the company says that it is planning to make many more such deals in the future.
However, MySyara gave no details on how it is intending to finance such deals.
The acquisition is occurring at a time when on-demand services via apps are growing at an incredible rate, whether those services are for fuel refills or food delivery.
Within the automotive sector in the UAE, start-up firm Cafu, which enables customers to have their cars refuelled at the location of their choice, has been gaining in popularity.
More traditional service providers within the UAE have not been left out either, with many making their own moves in the on-demand market.
Back in October, the Emirates National Oil Company (also known simply as Enoc) made the announcement that it was intending to launch a new app to allow drivers to have their cars refuelled wherever they are.
SKKYN Technologies was originally launched back in 2017, and was based in Dubai.
The team behind the app were inspired to create it by the frustration that they had personally experienced with long queues in car washes in the UAE, in addition to underwhelming quality of service.
The team decided to create an app to allow users to get their cars washed by professionals at their location at an affordable price, and it proved to be a big success with customers.
SKYNN Technologies’ water-less car wash system is also more environmentally friendly than many other car wash services.
MySyara already provides a wide array of services to its customers, including the likes of repairs, recovery, oil changes, battery replacements, tyre changes, car detailing, tyre repairs and even full services.
Anyone who drives any form of motor vehicle in the UAE is required to have at least a basic form of third-party car insurance by law.
Car insurance is designed to protect drivers and other road users in the event of accidents that leave vehicles damaged.
More comprehensive forms of car insurance can also offer financial protection in the event of injury or other unexpected motor-related events such as a vehicle actually being stolen from its owner.
There are a variety of different car insurance providers in the UAE offering a number of policies to choose from.