Search in MENA.com

Search in MENA.com, founded in 2010 by Syrian entrepreneur Salim Akil, operates as a B2B marketplace and advertising directory focused on the Middle East and North Africa. The company's origin stems from Akil's 2007 search for local competitors for his father's business in Syria, which revealed a gap in the market for a comprehensive business directory. This led to the creation of SearchinSyria.com, which later expanded to encompass the entire MENA region after Akil relocated to Dubai in 2011. The firm received an early investment offer from the Silicon Oasis Founders incubator.

The platform serves small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing a digital channel to attract clients and connect with a network of product and service providers across the Arab world. It functions as a B2B listing platform that facilitates the discovery of goods, services, and companies throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The platform connects a wide array of business entities, including buyers, sellers, manufacturers, suppliers, and traders.

The business model operates on a freemium basis. Companies can list their business for free, which includes limited information and a single product model, resulting in lower traffic. For a yearly subscription fee, businesses can create a more comprehensive profile, post a larger number of products, and provide detailed descriptions, thereby increasing their visibility and potential to attract clients. This tiered structure aims to create new online revenue channels for SMEs in the region.

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