Hawaya, Match Group’s dating app targeted at millennial Muslims, is expanding its reach into the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia.
The platform has already seen significant success in Egypt and offers a modern way for singles to meet partners of the same faith.
Hawaya was orginally named ‘Harmonica’ when it was founded but underwent a rebrand at the start of 2020. The new name is inspired by “hawa”, the Arabic word for love.
CEO Sameh Salah told Zawya: “Finding a life partner is hard, and in our community, we often face the pressure to settle down sooner rather than later. The use of regular dating apps often fails to offer the right prospects, experiences, or results.
“However, at Hawaya, we are here for you throughout your entire journey, from the moment you match to when forever begins. We ensure that the journey to discovering your soulmate begins and remains respectful of your values, culture, and intentions.
“This is a great milestone for Hawaya, and we are humbled that Muslim community have warmly welcomed this unorthodox and modern approach to matchmaking. We look forward to celebrating many more success stories.”
Recently, Hawaya has seen a 40% increase of in app- communication, which Saleh believes this was a result of current circumstances and social distancing directives enforced by authorities.
Match Group first acquired ‘Harmonica’ in August 2019, as it looked to reach a new audience in the Middle East and North Africa.
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