CH17 Privilege CEO Jumar Preena (left) with FinWin Group Founder and Chairman Faroon Hamim
DUBAI: Channel 17 (CH17) Loyalty, Sri Lanka’s pioneering rewards and loyalty management company launched its first international franchise operation in the United Arab Emirates. This initiative, forged through a strategic partnership with FinWin Group, marks a significant expansion for the company, providing it with broad access to the loyalty landscape across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The expansion is poised to deliver substantial benefits, particularly to the vast Sri Lankan expatriate community residing in Gulf countries.
Jumar Preena, CEO of CH17 Privilege, commented: “This extension of our services to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the result of our recent tie-up with CHEC Port City Colombo to promote down-town duty free shopping for all in-bound visitors both locals and foreigners,”
He further emphasized the specific advantage for Sri Lankan migrant workers, noting, “This initiative will particularly benefit Sri Lankan expatriate community across the Middle East, particularly the over 1.2 million migrant workers residing in Gulf countries who could directly benefit out of this generous offer by the two participating Duty Free operators, namely One World Duty Free (OWDF) and China Duty Free (CDF).”
The UAE alone is home to approximately 390,000 Sri Lankan nationals, a diverse group encompassing professionals, middle managers, skilled and semi-skilled workers, and domestic support staff. CH17 acknowledges their invaluable contributions to Sri Lanka’s economy through remittances.
Preena underscored the inclusive nature of the program, stating, “We are not singling out any particular segment, our offers will reach out to everyone who earns foreign exchange of whatever proportion.”
A cornerstone of this new initiative is the Mall at Port City Colombo, identified as the region’s inaugural downtown duty-free destination. CH17 aims to significantly enhance the shopping experience there.
“We want to incentivise shoppers with attractive offers, surprise them with gifts and also give them a chance to win a luxury motor car, and many more surprises are n the cards,” Preena revealed. This program aligns seamlessly with the Sri Lankan government’s broader objective of boosting foreign exchange earnings by offering tangible incentives to its citizens abroad.
By providing savings, shopping benefits, and lifestyle perks, the program is designed to encourage expatriates to direct a portion of their remittances towards duty-free purchases and travel-linked rewards.
Under the new agreement, FinWin Group will operate as the exclusive franchise holder, overseeing all CH17 brand operations throughout the UAE and the broader MENA region. This will involve the introduction of tailored programs specifically designed for expatriates, frequent travelers, and high-value shoppers.
Preena reiterated CH17’s core philosophy behind this expansion. “Our mission has always been to personalise loyalty and rewards for specific communities. With FinWin’s regional insight and our platform’s proven success, we are proud to extend this value-driven model to support our fellow Sri Lankans abroad,” he affirmed.
This strategic international foray is a pivotal step in CH17’s overarching vision to establish itself as a globally recognized leader in loyalty and privilege solutions, built upon a foundation of advanced technology, unwavering trust, and meaningful engagement with its members.
