http://www.ta3rifah.com https://www.facebook.com/ta3rifah Check out our full Interview with Private Sector Qatar Magazine, about the plans of our platform and the potential market growth for Ta3rifah. Ta3rifah is the award winner of Samsung Launching People Competition over Gulf Region in 2014,It is a mobile app which provides an automated customer engagement and loyalty platform through SaaS model, differentiated with advanced business analytics for businesses and geo-targeted promotions for customers to allow businesses to increase their sales through retaining and gaining customers.

1. 27march 2014
Entrepreneur
Everyone likes to be treated like they’re special, which is what makes programmes like
frequent flyer miles so popular. Ta3rifah is a mobile app that helps keep track of your loyalty
programmes. Founders, Ismail Issa, Mahmoud Salaheldin and Mostafa Khalifa, explain their
new product to Ayesha Aleem.
Please tell us a little about Ta3rifah.
We observed that Dubai wants to be seen as a thriving
trading centre. It hosts major attractions like Dubai
Shopping Festival and is getting ready for the mega
World Expo 2020. So we thought that developing an
app like Ta3rifah here would do well.
This mobile app combines all the loyalty
programmes that a person is signed up for and helps
them manage them through one platform, while
letting them know about promotions when they
are in the vicinity of the place offering them. This
eliminates having many physical cards, which can
become cumbersome. The app also does away with
annoying SMS and unnecessary information.
So to sum it up, Ta3rifah is an interactive platform
that redefines loyalty programmes, combining the
fun of shopping with the joy of saving.
Can you please elaborate on how the app works?
A user downloads the app on their Smart Phone. The
core features of this service are currently free for the
user. The merchant is charged a “pay-as-you-go” based
on per active user per month. So, he gets high value
for a low price. Currently, a merchant can choose from
Basic,Advanced and Premium subscription plans.
What stage is the Ta3rifah currently at?
Ta3rifah exists in private beta form at the moment,
which means that it is available to a closed group of
people that can only access it by invitation. It will
soon be available in public beta for the iPhone and
Android. In the next few months, we intend to enter
the Blackberry market and by the end of 2014, we
might consider testing the app with the Windows
mobile platform.
What is the story behind the name Tarifah?
Tarifah means “small amount of money” in Egypt,
where we come from. It’s also a play on the word
“tariff,” where customers can use virtual currency.
The number 3 is a part of our name because we see
3 in every aspect of our business plan. And of course,
Ta3rifah has three Founders.
What would you say are the important components of
building a successful app?
An app has to stand out in usability and design.
The most relevant information has to appear first
and there has to be an option to go into more detail
at later stages of development. The creators of an
app need to balance between creating a product that
meets the needs of customers as well as merchants.
Importantly, an app must be easy to use as well as to
implement.
What is your opinion about Smart Phone usage in this
region?
Smart Phones have become an inevitable part of our
lives. The usage of Smart Phones in the MENA region
has changed a lot in the past few years. Smart Phone
penetration has grown here by more than 50%.
There is also the increased trend of plenty of activity
moving to social media. Whether it’s taking decisions,
looking for reviews, store locations or getting feedback
– it’s all started to happen on social media. So, our
mission is to create a better market place coupled
with this realisation. We have designed an app that
combines the retail sector with social media.
What is your opinion about being an entrepreneur in
this region?
Being an entrepreneur here is a very energetic
experience. This is one of the best places in the world
to start a business. The ecosystem is well-structured.
It is difficult to be a good, unique entrepreneur here
because competition is very high. But if you can’t
make it here, it will be difficult to make it anywhere
else in the MENA region.
What are your future plans?
We have received 3 commitments from merchants
recently and at present have 30-40% of the funding
that we require. Most of this money is our savings. But
we also have a roadmap of how to procure funds for
the next 2 and a half years. We are also going to begin
an aggressive sales plan, starting with SMEs.
What is your advice to entrepreneurs?
It is important to have an entrepreneurial spirit or
mindset that is necessary to survive as the creator of a
product. This means that you need to step out of your
comfort zone.You should also work in any field and be
willing to do any task at any time. There should be no
shame to do anything for your business.
Ultimately, find a problem to solve and add value
through your product. Don’t think about success and
money. If you have the right solution, success and
money will follow. Don’t listen to naysayers and don’t
be discouraged. The joy of seeing your business grow
is the same as watching a child grow.
Privileged customer
26
Ismail Issa is Chief Executive
Officer atTa3rifah.He has more
than 8 years of experience in
media,telecommunications
and Government between
Egypt and the UAE.Issa is also
a co-founder and technology
leader at Optimum,a business
solutions company.He holds a
Bachelor’s degree in Computer
Science.He can be contacted at
ismail.issa@ta3rifah.com
Mahmoud Salaheldin
is ChiefTechnical Officer
atTa3rifah.He has more
than 7 years of experience
in technology and
telecommunications.Mahmoud
is a co-founder of G-seven,a
technical solutions company
as well as Event Earl,which is
a professional event solutions
company.He holds a Bachelor
of Engineering degree in
computers and systems and
a University certificate in
Business Management.He can
be contacted at
mahmoud.salaheldin@ta3rifah.com
Mostafa Khalifa is Chief
Business Development Officer
atTa3rifah.Previously,he was
Support and Development
Operations Manager,MEA
Region at Electrolux.He is the
co-founder of start ups like
Leaders,a Project Management
company,vGate,a java-
based platform for creating
web-based solutions and
Optimum,a business solutions
company.He holds a Bachelor
of Science degree in Design
and Production Engineering
and a Diploma in Supply Chain
Management from Institute of
Supply Chain Management,
UK.He can be contacted at
mostafa.khalifa@ta3rifah.comUsers can log in using the Ta3rifah app or their
Facebook info. We use “geofencing” technology
in which a merchant can send information to a
customer based on their location. This way, they
aren’t bothered by unnecessary alerts. They are only
notified when they are close to a store and are only
sent personalised updates.
What makes Ta3rifah different?
We have introduced a unique aspect that allows users
to trade rewards with each other. This makes the
app a little like social media or an online game. We
have tried to give the users as much control of their
experience while using the product.
They can control the number of notifications
that they receive. Notifications are based on
the customer’s profile and they appear in a
notification centre where they can be reviewed at
leisure instead of demanding immediate attention
or action.
The merchants’ usage has been considered when
building the analytics so the software is designed for
them to get the maximum benefit. Business owners
can monitor customers’ usage and provide the most
relevant information.