Afifi Group
Afifi Group is a Nazareth-based, family-owned Israeli conglomerate founded in 1927 operating 20+ subsidiaries across public transportation (1,700+ buses), tourism and hospitality, automotive distribution, and real estate, serving Israeli commuters, tourists, fleet operators, and government authorities with a 3,500+ employee workforce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1927
- HeadquartersNazareth, Israel
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Afifi Group does
Afifi Group is a Nazareth-headquartered, family-owned Israeli conglomerate founded in 1927, operating more than 20 subsidiary companies across four business units: Transportation & Mobility, Tourism & Hospitality, Automotive, and Real Estate & Investments. The group employs over 3,500 people and operates a fleet of more than 1,700 buses, providing public transportation services through Nateev Express (233 routes, 530+ buses), Nazareth Transport and Tourism, United Nazareth Bus Services (9 million annual passengers serving 250,000+ residents), and Beit Shemesh Express (26 routes, 241 buses including 58 electric), as well as Cable Express operating Israel's first public cable car system under a 12-year franchise. Ancillary transport operations include Helen Driving School with advanced simulation training. The tourism division centers on Nazarene Tours (founded 1974), which developed the proprietary Travel Cyber Office system integrating Galileo, Amadeus, and World Span GDS platforms, supported by Legacy Hotel Nazareth (100 rooms), Duns Scotus Pilgrimage (50% stake, Hong Kong), and & Olives Travel (80% stake, Netherlands).
The group's technology stack includes GPS satellite fleet tracking with real-time passenger information systems, electronic ticketing and smart card infrastructure, Mobileye 8 ADAS on selected fleets, 24/7 centralized control centers, and a UBSI-PARTS e-commerce platform offering 3,000+ automotive SKUs. Strategic autonomous driving partnership with Imagry produced Israel's first autonomous bus pilot at Sheba Medical Center in 2022. The automotive business unit operates through UBSI (exclusive Israeli importer of Solaris and Otokar buses since 2012, with a 13,000 sqm service center and 4,000 sqm automated warehouse) and UBSI Parts (exclusive distributor of Hengst Filtration, Diesel Technic, Garrett, Mitsubishi, and SEM spare parts). The Afifi-Carasso joint venture (with Carasso Group, 2009) distributes Renault, Nissan, Chery, Exping, and iVIZ vehicles in the Arab sector with approximately 900 vehicles sold annually.
Revenue is generated through a mix of regulated government concession contracts (Israeli Ministry of Transportation tenders), passenger fares, OEM bus and parts distribution (B2B and B2C e-commerce), automotive retail transactions, hotel accommodations, and tourism transactional fees. Go-to-market combines competitive tender bidding for public transport operations, direct B2B fleet services, B2C retail through dealerships and the UBSI-PARTS storefront, and inbound/outbound tourism distribution across four countries. Geographic operations span Israel, Portugal (BusWay Aveiro), Netherlands (& Olives Travel), Turkey (Transtek Otomotiv), and Hong Kong (Duns Scotus Pilgrimage JV). Leadership rests with the third and fourth generation of the Afifi family, with Ahmed Afifi as Chairman and Afif Afifi as General Manager.
Afifi Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Afifi Group
- Legal name
- Afifi Group
- Website
- https://afifi-group.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1927
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Afifi Group is a Nazareth-based, family-owned Israeli conglomerate founded in 1927 operating 20+ subsidiaries across public transportation (1,700+ buses), tourism and hospitality, automotive distribution, and real estate, serving Israeli commuters, tourists, fleet operators, and government authorities with a 3,500+ employee workforce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Afifi Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transportation and Mobility Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Transportation (488), Travel Agencies (56151), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Group Ground Transportation & Logistics (Shuttles, Transfers) (THACAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cableway Infrastructure Owners/Concessionaires & PPP Operators (THAIAKAG), Business Travel & Executive Itinerary Management (HSACAKAJ), Corporate Travel & Accommodation Coordination (HSACADAL), Online/Hybrid Corporate Travel Agencies (Self-Booking + Support) (THAKACAB)
Keywords
Where Afifi Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nazareth
- HQ country
- Israel
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices7 records
Markets served
Afifi Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Public Transportation Services: Operating public bus routes through competitive government tenders, serving hundreds of thousands of residents across wide geographic areas. Revenue generated from government contracts and passenger fares.
- Tourism and Hospitality: Travel agency services, tour operations, hotel management, pilgrimage services, and travel booking services for inbound and outbound tourism markets.
- Automotive Sales and Services: Bus and automotive sales, maintenance services, spare parts distribution through exclusive partnerships with European manufacturers like Solaris and Otokar.
- Spare Parts Distribution: Exclusive distribution of European automotive parts brands including Hengst Filtration, Diesel Technic, Garrett, and Mitsubishi for Israeli and Palestinian markets.
- Cable Car Operations: Operating and maintaining cable car (aerial ropeway) public transportation system including 152 cabins across 6 stations for 12-year concession period.
- IT Services: Technology services including application development, system installation and support, fleet technology systems, and smart ticketing solutions for group companies and external clients.
- Real Estate and Investments: Real estate development, property management, shopping centers, and investment in startups and venture capital funds focused on mobility and transportation technology.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Public transportation services priced according to Ministry of Transportation regulations |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Legacy Hotel Nazareth - 100-room boutique hotel |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Automotive spare parts - over 3,000 products |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Afifi Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Afifi Group is a family-owned diversified conglomerate operating public bus transportation, cable car transit, tourism and travel agency services, hotel hospitality, automotive retail, commercial vehicle service, and spare parts distribution across Israel and selected international markets through 20+ subsidiaries, with a fleet of 1,700+ buses and 3,500+ employees. The Transportation & Mobility business unit runs public route concessions through government tenders; Tourism & Hospitality covers travel agency, pilgrimage, and a 100-room boutique hotel; Automotive includes exclusive import of Solaris and Otokar buses plus a parts e-commerce store; Real Estate & Investments covers mixed-use property and venture investments in mobility startups.
Product overview
Afifi Group is a diversified multi-business conglomerate operating across four main business units: Transportation & Mobility, Tourism & Hospitality, Automotive, and Real Estate & Investments. The company operates more than 20 subsidiary companies with a fleet of over 1,700 buses and employs more than 3,500 people. In Transportation, the core products include Nateev Express (233 routes, 530+ buses), Nazareth Transport and Tourism (240 buses), and United Nazareth Bus Services (190 buses, 9M annual passengers), complemented by Cable Express operating the first public cable car system in Israel (4.2km, 152 cabins). The Tourism division centers on Nazarene Tours (founded 1974) with its proprietary Travel Cyber Office system integrating Galileo, Amadeus, and World Span GDS platforms, supported by Legacy Hotel Nazareth, Duns Scotus Pilgrimage (50% stake), and & Olives Travel (80% stake). The Automotive unit features UBSI as exclusive importer of Solaris and Otokar buses, UBSI Parts e-commerce platform (3,000+ products), and Afifi-Carasso joint venture for Renault/Nissan/Chery distribution. Epsilon Delta provides group-wide IT solutions, fuel, and workforce services across all divisions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Transportation & Mobility Business Unit: Business unit comprising public transportation companies including buses, mass transit, and driving schools
- Tourism & Hospitality Business Unit
- Automotive Business Unit
- Real Estate & Investments Business Unit
- Afifi Arabians
Quantifiable outcome
- 96.47 highest public transport operator score in Israel (national average: 72.37)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Afifi Group
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Afifi Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability1 record
Feature7 records
Afifi Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Nazarene TourscoreParent company holding 80% of & Olives Travel shares, providing outbound tourism services from Netherlands to Middle East and Europe.
- Solaris Bus & CoachcoreExclusive importer of Solaris buses to Israel since 2012. Partnership includes electric and gas-powered buses, with Solaris being a European leader in alternative energy buses.
- Hengst FiltrationcoreExclusive distributor of Hengst Filtration products for heavy vehicles and commercial transport in Israeli and Palestinian markets.
- Diesel TechniccoreExclusive distributor of Diesel Technic spare parts for commercial vehicles in Israeli and Palestinian markets.
- Garrett Motion (Turbochargers)coreExclusive distributor of Garrett turbochargers for automotive and commercial vehicle applications in Israeli markets.
- Mitsubishi TurbochargerscoreExclusive distributor of Mitsubishi turbochargers for heavy vehicles and commercial transport.
- SEMcoreExclusive distributor of SEM products for commercial vehicle spare parts.
- Catholic Church (Hong Kong)minorPartnership with local Catholic Church for Christian pilgrimage services in Hong Kong through Duns Scotus Pilgrimage joint venture.
- DRIVE TLVcoreSmart mobility innovation center partnership where Afifi Group joined as exclusive global partner, participating in Israel's leading smart mobility ecosystem accelerator with dozens of world-leading vehicle and transportation companies.
- UITP AcademyminorInternational public transport association academy providing automated mobility training programs for Afifi Group employees, covering topics including sensors, fleet integration with public transport, demand-responsive mobility, standardization, and business models.
- TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe GmbHminorGerman technology region partnership hosting automated mobility training for Afifi Group transportation company employees in collaboration with UITP Academy.
- ImagrycoreAutonomous driving technology partnership for implementing map-independent autonomous bus operations as part of the national autonomous public transport initiative and pilot programs.
- OtokarcoreExclusive importer of Otokar buses to Israel. Otokar is a leading Turkish bus manufacturer producing diesel BRT, articulated, electric, and natural gas buses.
- City TransformerminorStartup company investment - folding city car manufacturer.
- Pipelbiz Social Businesses LtdminorStartup company investment in social businesses sector.
- ImagrycoreAutonomous driving technology startup investment and partnership for map-independent self-driving bus operations.
- VholaminorStartup investment in Afifi Group's portfolio.
- EndoronminorStartup company investment.
- SeismicAiminorStartup company investment in Afifi Group's portfolio.
- DRIVE TLVcoreSmart mobility innovation center sponsorship and partnership, including event hosting at Legacy Hotel Nazareth.
Scale indicators20 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Afifi Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Egged: Israel's largest public bus cooperative, operating thousands of buses nationwide. Most direct comparable to Afifi's multi-subsidiary public transport operations including its tender-based route model.
- Dan Bus Company: Major Israeli public bus operator with nationwide urban and intercity routes. Directly competes with Afifi's Nateev Express, UNBS, and Beit Shemesh Express for Ministry of Transport tenders.
- Metropoline: Israeli public transport operator running bus routes under Ministry of Transport concessions. Competes with Afifi subsidiaries for the same tendered Israeli clusters.
- Superbus: Israeli public bus operator operating tendered and intercity routes. Head-to-head competitor for Afifi's tendered bus operation subsidiaries.
- Kavim: Israeli bus operator with tendered interurban clusters overlapping Afifi's Beit Shemesh and Galilee geographies under the same regulatory framework.
- Israguide Tours: Leading Israeli incoming tour operator serving Holy Land pilgrimage and inbound tourism. Directly comparable to Nazarene Tours for tour packages, GDS-based booking, and religious tourism clientele.
Broad incumbents
- Transdev: Global multi-modal public transport operator present in dozens of countries. Comparable as a broad incumbent against whom Afifi Group competes for international PPP tenders like BusWay Aveiro.
- Keolis: French-headquartered global public transport operator with strong presence in Europe, Middle East, and Australia. Likeliest competitor in international PPP bus tenders Afifi is targeting.
- ComfortDelGro Transit: Singapore-listed global multimodal transit operator with bus, rail, and taxi businesses. Comparable conglomerate-style operating model across multiple mobility verticals.
- FirstGroup / First Bus: UK-headquartered major bus and rail operator. Comparable model in tendered public bus operations and large fleet management that Afifi emulates at a national scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Afifi Group social profiles
Digital presenceAfifi Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Afifi Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Afifi Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Afifi Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries17 records
Afifi Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Afifi Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Afifi Group
What does Afifi Group do?
Afifi Group is a family-owned diversified conglomerate operating public bus transportation, cable car transit, tourism and travel agency services, hotel hospitality, automotive retail, commercial vehicle service, and spare parts distribution across Israel and selected international markets through 20+ subsidiaries, with a fleet of 1,700+ buses and 3,500+ employees. The Transportation & Mobility business unit runs public route concessions through government tenders; Tourism & Hospitality covers travel agency, pilgrimage, and a 100-room boutique hotel; Automotive includes exclusive import of Solaris and Otokar buses plus a parts e-commerce store; Real Estate & Investments covers mixed-use property and venture investments in mobility startups.
Is Afifi Group a public or private company?
Afifi Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Afifi Group founded?
Afifi Group was founded in 1927. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Afifi Group based?
Afifi Group is headquartered in Nazareth, Israel, in the Middle East region.
How does Afifi Group make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Public Transportation Services are the primary driver. The others are tourism and Hospitality, automotive Sales and Services, spare Parts Distribution, cable Car Operations, IT Services and real Estate and Investments.
Who are Afifi Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Egged, Dan Bus Company, Metropoline, Superbus, Kavim and Israguide Tours. Broad incumbents are Transdev, Keolis, ComfortDelGro Transit and FirstGroup / First Bus.
Does Afifi Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Afifi Group.
What industry is Afifi Group in?
Afifi Group's product category is Public Transportation and Mobility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THACAFAE, Group Ground Transportation & Logistics (Shuttles, Transfers), with a secondary code of THAIAKAG, Cableway Infrastructure Owners/Concessionaires & PPP Operators. Its NAICS code is 488 and its SIC code is 4700.