Business

How Zajil Express Is Competing With The Region’s International Competitors

Published

3 years ago

August 23, 2022

The logistics industry is not only a key contributor to economic development but also plays a significant role in resolving environmental and social issues. It is a major contributor to the economy and a competitive force in business. Recently, the transportation and logistics industry has been confronting immense transformation. Covid-19 and other hiccups have led to large-scale supply chain disruptions, confusing new restrictions and rules, and tumultuous shifts in customer demand.

Of course, the logistics industry keeps moving forward. It has gotten through the worst phases of the global pandemic. Due to this, the industry leaders are utilizing technologies, practices, and standards to carry it. One of such leaders is Zajil Express, taking action to remain competitive through its strength and capabilities in keeping up with the digital transformation, customer expectations, new market entrants, and evolving business models.

Zajil Express revolutionizes the logistics & transportation industry

Zajil is an icon of entrepreneurship in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, competing with international competitors in the region. It is a privately owned and operated postal company offering domestic and international goods shipping and is one of the largest shipping and delivery networks.

Zajil Express won the KSA Express Service Provider of the Year Award (Private Sector) for 2018. In 2020, it was ranked the best company in the international cargo category, with only 19 complaints per 100,000 shipments.

The history & expansion of Zajil Express

Zajil was established in Unaizah when it started operations and then moved its headquarters to Riyadh, the capital of KSA. It was founded in 1999 with just two outlets. Growing from simple express delivery in and around Riyadh, it has now expanded into global shipping and logistics solutions provider, operating in over 110 outlets spreading over Saudi Arabia. From only one service to provide, Zajil now offers more than ten services, including air freight, land freight, sea freight, customs clearance, fulfillment, 3PL, store-to-store express, door-to-door services, last-mile delivery, line haul/fleet shipping, and chilled delivery.

It was acquired by Al-Kadi Group Holding in 2009, with Yasser Al-Kadi becoming the Managing Director. The group set a strategic plan to develop the company at all levels with a vision to align it with the prominent international players. In 2015, with fifty outlets, Zajil became licensed for postal delivery service in KSA. The same year, it acquired Hat International (HATEX) and expanded into line hauling, heavy shipping, temperature-controlled deliveries, and other B2B services.

In 2018, Zajil grew its reach with eighty outlets and introduced last-mile delivery for B2B customers and door-to-door services from the warehouse to the customer’s location. By 2020, Zajil started operating from China, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the USA. It also introduced inventory fulfillment services with distributed warehousing and logistics technology. At the same time, it also introduced freight forwarding, including air, sea, and land, and developed an ecommerce platform for its customers.

Zajil Express products and services

Zajil is one of the pioneering entities that started the dynamic logistics business in the Kingdom and around the Middle East. It is revolutionizing shipping and delivery in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the latest technology. It is known for its courier and package delivery, strength in handling customer inquiries and complaints, and accelerated expansion plan locally, in GCC, and globally. Zajil offers a range of services in addition to domestic and international shipping serving different sectors, including B2B, B2C, and C2C.

E-Commerce Business Solutions

Zajil Express helps customers with online sales, shipping, return service, warehouse, and inventory.

Freight Solutions

It offers flexible and affordable air, sea, and land freight solutions with distribution centers and customs experts in every continent’s major economic hub. It also provides customs clearance and documentation services to ensure complete and accurate international shipping and delivery documentation.

Fulfillment

Zajil offers fulfillment services for growing businesses, including pick-up, inventory, and delivery. This benefits small business owners and eliminates the inventory cost and risks. Companies can lease space from Zajil either on-demand or get it reserved.

Domestic Distribution

Zajil offers cost-effective local express services within Saudi Arabia and cities. It provides several services for the domestic distribution of goods timely, including door-to-door, same-day shipping, and heavy shipping.

Business

Derik Fay and the Quiet Rise of a Fintech Dynasty: How a Relentless Visionary is Redefining the Future of Payments

Published

2 days ago

October 17, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Long before the headlines, before the Forbes features, and well before he became a respected fixture in boardrooms across the country, Derik Fay was a kid from Westerly, Rhode Island with little more than grit and audacity. Now, with a strategic footprint spanning more than 40 companies—including holdings in media, construction, real estate, pharma, fitness, and fintech—Fay’s influence is as diversified as it is deliberate. And his most recent move may be his boldest yet: the acquisition and co-ownership of Tycoon Payments, a fintech venture poised to disrupt an industry built on middlemen and outdated rules.

Where many entrepreneurs chase headlines, Fay chases legacy.

Rebuilding the Foundation of Fintech

In the saturated space of payment processors, Fay didn’t just want another transactional brand. He saw a broken system—one that labeled too many businesses as “high-risk,” denied them access, and overcharged them into silence. Tycoon Payments, under his stewardship, is rewriting that narrative from the ground up.

Instead of the all-too-common “fake processor” model, where companies act as brokers rather than actual underwriters, Tycoon Payments is being engineered to own the rails—integrating direct banking partnerships, custom risk modeling, and flexible support for underserved industries.

“Disruption isn’t about being loud,” Fay said in a private strategy session with advisors. “It’s about fixing what’s been ignored for too long. I don’t chase waves—I build the coastline.”

Quiet Power, Strategic Depth

Now 46 years old, Fay has evolved from scrappy gym owner to an empire builder, founding 3F Management as a private equity and venture vehicle to scale fast-growth businesses with staying power. His portfolio includes names like Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, BIGG Pharma, Results Roofing, FayMs Films, and SalonPlex—but also dozens of companies that never make headlines. That’s by design.

Where others seek followers, Fay builds founders. Where most celebrate their exits, Fay reinvests in people.

While he often deflects conversations around his personal wealth, analysts estimate his net worth to exceed $100 million, with some placing it comfortably over $250 million, based on exits, real estate holdings, and the trajectory of his current ventures.

Yet unlike others in his tax bracket, Fay still answers cold DMs. He mentors rising entrepreneurs without cameras rolling. And he shows up—not just with capital, but with conviction.

A Mogul Grounded in Real Life

Outside of business, Fay remains committed to his role as a father and partner. He shares two daughters, Sophia Elena Fay and Isabella Roslyn Fay, and has been in a relationship with Shandra Phillips since 2021. He’s known for keeping his personal life private, but those close to him speak of a man who brings the same intention to parenting as he does to scaling multimillion-dollar ventures—focused, present, and consistent.

His physical stature—standing at 6′1″—matches his professional gravitas, but what’s more striking is his ability to operate with both discipline and empathy. Fay’s reputation among founders and CEOs is not just one of capital deployment, but emotional intelligence. As one partner noted, “He’s the kind of guy who will break down your pitch—and rebuild your belief in yourself in the same breath.”

The Tycoon Blueprint

The playbook Fay is writing at Tycoon Payments doesn’t just threaten incumbents—it reinvents the infrastructure. This isn’t another “fintech startup” with a flashy brand and no backend. It’s a strategically positioned venture with real underwriting power, cross-border ambitions, and a founder who understands how to scale quietly until the entire industry has to take notice.

In an age where so many entrepreneurs rely on noise and virality to build influence, Fay remains a master of what can only be called elite stealth. He doesn’t need the spotlight. But his impact casts a long shadow.

Conclusion: The Empire Expands

From Rhode Island beginnings to venture boardrooms, from gym owner to fintech force, Derik Fay continues to build not just businesses—but a blueprint. One rooted in resilience, innovation, and long-term infrastructure.

Tycoon Payments may be the latest chess piece. But the game he’s playing is bigger than one move. It’s a long game of strategic leverage, intentional legacy, and generational wealth.

And Fay is not just playing it. He’s redefining the rules.