KaKao

“Expanding Beyond Korea to the World” Kakao Mobility Begins Export of Parking Platform to Saudi Arabia

 

- Kakao Mobility partners to supply integrated mobility solutions, including parking systems, for Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Project

- Saudi Arabia seeks parking solutions for more than 60,000 vehicles across a site twenty times the size of Yeouido, with Kakao Mobility equipped with indoor navigation and other key technologies

- Plans to expand mobility solutions following successful pilot implementation, pledging to demonstrate strong technological capabilities in the global market

 

[June 1, 2025] Kakao Mobility is beginning its first export of a parking platform. Through this milestone, the company aims to prove its technological and operational capabilities as Korea’s leading integrated mobility platform and establish a bridgehead for full scale global expansion.

 

Kakao Mobility (CEO Ryu Geung-seon) announced on June 1 that it will work with partners to develop an integrated mobility solution. The work includes a parking platform for Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Project, a large urban development plan with a total investment of USD 63 billion (approximately ₩86 trillion).

 

■ Diriyah Company invests USD 63 billion in a site twenty times the size of Yeouido and plans parking infrastructure and mobility solutions

On May 25, Kakao Mobility signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint development of future mobility services at the Diriyah Gate Development Authority in Diriyah, a historic site west of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Attendees included CEO Ryu Geung-seon, Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo and other key officials.

 

The Diriyah Project is part of Saudi Arabia’s “Giga Project,” a series of large infrastructure and urban development initiatives led by the government. The development area covers 14 km² west of Riyadh, home to the birthplace of the Saudi royal family, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The plan includes luxury resorts, villas, hospitals, and shopping centers across a site twenty times the size of Yeouido.

 

Through this MOU, Kakao Mobility will first focus on operating parking infrastructure within Diriyah and developing an integrated system for parking reservations and payment management. The company plans to carry out a proof of concept (PoC) in partially open sections of the Diriyah site, which is set for completion by 2030. Based on the results, Kakao Mobility will discuss with Diriyah Company expanding the solution to provide full scale parking management across the entire development.

 

■ Saudi Arabia to build parking infrastructure for 60,000+ vehicles in Diriyah as Kakao Mobility brings indoor navigation and other core technologies

Diriyah Company plans to build parking facilities for more than 60,000 vehicles in Diriyah. In the PoC, the two sides will develop an initial model of a smart parking infrastructure and digital platform that can be applied across large scale parking areas. The goal is to verify integration of digital parking technology, improve user experience, and design efficient operational workflows.

 

Kakao Mobility will be able to provide technologies that enable integrated parking management in underground and indoor spaces. In 2020, the company became the first in the world to commercialize fused indoor localization (FIN), a mobile network signal based indoor positioning technology. By applying FIN to KakaoNavi, Kakao Mobility provides accurate route guidance in areas where GPS signals are unavailable, such as underground parking lots and tunnels.

 

The company also has operational expertise. This includes universal parking controller (UPC) technology, which allows multiple parking facilities with different infrastructures to run under one system. Its data driven strategies analyze demand by facility and distribute parking demand across wider areas.

 

■ Expanding beyond parking to integrated mobility solutions, “We will prove our excellence in global markets through successful project participation”

This agreement extends beyond parking solutions, with room to expand collaboration to a wider set of integrated mobility platform services that Kakao Mobility can provide. Starting with parking services, Kakao Mobility and Diriyah Company will explore further cooperation on developing future mobility services tailored to the needs of Diriyah.

 

Kakao Mobility CEO Ryu Geung-seon, who attended the signing ceremony, stated, “We are honored to take part in the Diriyah Project, which involves many of the world’s leading companies. Based on our experience operating mobility platform services such as taxis and rental cars overseas, we will do our best to demonstrate the excellence of Kakao Mobility’s solutions on the global stage.”

 

Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo stated, “We are proud to partner with Kakao Mobility, a leading innovator in mobility to develop smart mobility solutions for Diriyah. By introducing the latest smart technologies for mobility and parking management, Diriyah will further establish itself as a world class destination.”

 

Meanwhile, Kakao Mobility’s platform capabilities and technology continue to draw attention in the global market, including the Middle East. In October last year, a delegation from the Sharjah Digital Department in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visited Kakao Mobility’s headquarters to experience future mobility technologies and discuss cooperation. Earlier this year, the company also hosted delegations including senior officials from transport ministries attending the OECD International Transport Forum (ITF) and Japan’s taxi association X Taxi, who visited its Pangyo headquarters to experience its technologies firsthand.