As Saudi Arabia continues to witness a surge of small businesses popping up across the Kingdom, particularly those focused on IT-related products, one young fashion designer is taking note and creating her own simple yet ingenious solution: a fashion app that will allow Saudi Arabian women to buy and order designer clothes by Arabs through their mobile phones.
Ahad Al Otaibi, a Riyadh-based designer and a graduate from Princess Nourah University, got the idea for the app after looking at gaps in the market for Arab designers. Wanting to create something innovative, she set out to launch her app to help promote and support designers from the region. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Al Otaibi said the app, which is called “Arab Designers,” will include all types of fashion for women, perfumes, and paintings by Arabs.
“My hobbies include reading, painting and following up on everything new in the world of fashion. I try to learn new courses related to technology and fashion. My aim is to merge the two in this app which I call Arab Designers,” explained the 25-year-old designer.
“Many fashion designers from some Gulf and other Arab countries have joined us. Participants are selected by a committee which evaluates the work based on quality and accuracy […] As part of our commitment to support and assist young Saudi fashion designers who cannot support themselves, the app’s committee will visit local universities in various parts of the Kingdom to select promising female designers to offer them our platform to showcase their products for free,” she added.
Al Otaibi is not the only Saudi Arabia woman creating unique app solutions this month. In the beginning of August, a team of young Saudi women won first place at the record-breaking Hajj Hackathon in Jeddah with "Turjuman," an instant translation app they developed that facilitates communication by pilgrims from all over the world.
