BY MUNEERA ALBEESHI
Already bustling with life, the Diplomatic Quarter recently welcomed a new and exciting business that adds another dynamic and promotes exercise, entertainment, and social engagement: SPiN — the first official rental bike shop in Riyadh. Manie AlKhaldie, founder and CEO of SPiN bicycle rentals, shares how he turned an idea into reality.
Manie Alkhaldie is a young entrepreneur with a background in Industrial Engineering and currently works as a project management senior consultant. Among his many hobbies, he expressed that cycling has been his favorite since childhood. During his stay in San Francisco for college, he bought a hybrid specialized bike for commuting, which then started the idea of organizing biking trips across the Golden Gate Bridge. Since then, his passion for cycling drove him to think of ways that could increase the number of cyclists in Saudi Arabia as well as improving the quality of life through this hobby and sport.
“I started my research on the community and their desire for cycling, which was impressive. However, they faced a lot of challenges in order to get bikes; one of them being the limited supply of bicycles that makes biking expensive,” AlKhaldie said.
Even with these challenges, he found out through HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sports, that cycling is still included in the top three practiced sports in Saudi Arabia along with walking and jogging. With this, he started SPiN bicycle rentals in the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ). His goal was for SPiN to provide quality services by providing accessible and affordable bikes available to everyone, all week long.
After a long journey of research and business planning, Manie chose the DQ as the location of SPiN for several reasons: its beautiful landscaping, parks and trails and most importantly, low speed limits for cars that will allow riders to feel safe. Prior to choosing the location, Manie put out a survey in the community, and the results came back with 49% of participants choosing DQ as their desired destination for cycling.
SPiN officially launched on January 16, 2020. Manie described all the work that had been put in prior to the opening like construction, licensing, finding the perfect bikes and ensuring global safety standards for cycling as challenging and time-consuming but he pushed through.
SPiN’s main priority is their customers’ safety, therefore, they have taken all the precautionary measures like providing helmets, safety vests, and lights. “Obeying traffic laws really matters, especially during peak hours where streets tend to be busier. By staying in the right lane, the right direction, and wearing safety equipment, we will have a safer environment for the whole community.” Manie added.
Known to everyone, COVID-19 has taken a toll on a substantial number of individuals and businesses worldwide. “As a small business that was only three months old, we had been impacted with four months of zero income. However, SPiN managed to use its crisis management and risk mitigation plans with its contingency reserve to get through this crisis.” Manie said.
Now that establishments are opening after the lockdowns and curfews in the past few months, SPiN is back in business providing the same services with additional precautionary measures to ensure passengers’ safety. “We have added a sanitization station at the entrance of SPiN where riders can sanitize their hands before and after each ride, not to mention the free masks and gloves given to them upon request.” He added.
As SPiN continues to attract more customers, Manie explained future plans of expanding inside the Diplomatic Quarter. “In collaboration with the DQGA, SPiN is working on opening its second location inside the DQ. The second location will allow riders to pick up bikes from one location and have the convenience of dropping them off at the other.” Furthermore, there are plans to expand outside the DQ and these will be announced shortly. “Our expansion has a lot of surprises for our SPiNners that includes but is not limited to monthly subscriptions. This feature will allow the riders to pick up their bikes without having to go through the payment process, which will enhance the accessibility to cycling.” Manie added.
In alignment with the Saudi 2030 Vision, SPiN aims to contribute to a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation by promoting an active lifestyle by diversifying sports and hiring a local team.
SPiNners, be on the lookout for more fun and happenings coming your way!
SPiN Rentals Est.
3293 7977 Abdullah Alsahmi St, Al Safarat, Riyadh 12512
Contact No: 0560771115
Email: info@SPiNsaudi.com
Instagram: @spin.sa
