[Edaily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] Naver (NAVER(035420)) has launched an open beta service for its map application in Saudi Arabia. Following a project to build digital twins for the government, the company is expanding its local operations into lifestyle services used by general consumers in their daily lives.

According to the information technology (IT) industry on the 29th, Naver Innovation—a joint venture between Naver Cloud and the Saudi National Housing Company (NHC)—unveiled “Balady+” in open beta. The company plans to refine the service by gathering user feedback.

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Naver is developing a “super app” that connects local location information and various lifestyle features based on maps and route guidance. On its official website, Naver Innovation highlights location search and saving, reviews, photos and videos, and advance reservations as the super app’s key features. The plan is to provide business owners with tools to manage store information, reviews, coupons, and reservations.

This service is significant in that it marks the expansion of Naver’s Saudi Arabian business from business-to-government (B2G) to business-to-consumer (B2C). It connects spatial information technology—previously used for urban administration and management—to the daily lives of general users, such as their movements and store visits.

Naver has been expanding its local operations in Saudi Arabia since winning a contract in 2023 to build digital twin platforms in major Saudi cities. Last year, it completed the initial rollout in three cities—Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah—and Naver Cloud and NHC Innovation established a joint venture to develop map-based services.

The company is also broadening its partnerships with local lifestyle service providers. Naver Innovation is discussing service integrations with platforms such as the restaurant reservation service Wddk, and is exploring ways to connect Baladi Plus’s map and navigation services with Meta’s platform.