MENA Tourism Startups

MENA startups attracted $1.1 billion in funding in Q1 2023, according to Wamda, with the travel-tech sector accounting for $9 million. Here are four regional travel startups revitalizing the market.

Dharma

Founded: 2021

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Established by Nisma Benani, Charaf El Mansouri, Leah Howe, and Brice Carpentier in 2021, the Abu Dhabi-based startup builds, co-creates, and operates travel experiences for “passion tourism” and wellness retreats. The B2B2C platform had raised a total of $4.9 million so far over three funding rounds, as of April 2023. The startup is backed by Pernod Ricard’s Convivialite Ventures, Mubadala’s Hub71, and Flat6Labs. In January 2022, DHARMA partnered with Eric Cantona, the former captain of Manchester United, to launch a travel brand. The company has launched a number of travel brands, including luxury fitness brand Equinox, travel media publication Culture Trip, and cryptocurrency unicorn Bitso, according to Forbes.

Turismo

Founded: 2020

Headquarters: Qatar

Founded by Nada Farouk and Zeba Rahman in 2020, Turismo is a localised superapp for domestic tourism in MENA, with operations in Qatar and Egypt. The startup is seeking to digitize the industry by providing a localized online booking and ticketing platform for on-ground and virtual travel and entertainment experiences for both tourists and expats. The AI and AR powered app, available for iOS and Android services, had recorded more than 1,000 downloads on Google Play and over 8,000 on App Store as of April 2023, offering personalized end-toend experiences, including discovering hidden local gems, booking services, and a digital wallet. The app generates commissions from its service providers. Turismo launched its official website in November 2022, introducing more than 75 experiences in Qatar during FIFA World Cup 2022 through the platform.

Gathern

Founded: 2017

Headquarters: Saudi Arabia

Founded by Latifa Altamimi and Faisal Alanazi in 2017, Gathern is a peer-to-peer

(P2P) vacation rental marketplace allowing customers to rent various housing spaces directly from the owner. It has more than 58,000 properties in more than 217 cities and provinces around Saudi Arabia, as of April 2023. In May 2021, Gathern closed a $6 million Series A funding round led by STV, along with existing and new investors. In April 2022, Gathern closed a pre-Series B round and announced a partnership with Mohammed & Musaab Abdullah Al-Ajlan Investment Company. In February 2023, Gathern was chosen among the selected companies in the Saudi Unicorns National Program that support and enables high-growth technology companies to reach the unicorn stage.

NomuHub

Founded: 2017

Headquarters: Oman

Muatasam Aulaqi cofounded NomuHub in 2017, embracing the concept of “travel with a purpose.” It offers tourism packages across countries including Zanzibar, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Bali, and Nepal that enable travellers to explore destinations while giving back to the communities they are visiting by building schools, engaging in community development programs, and offering medical camps, among other activities. Since its inception, NomuHub has brought in more than $5 million in revenues by hosting trips for nearly 5,000 travellers as of October 2022. It raised nearly $200,000 in funding in 2019 but has otherwise been self-funded.

BY RAWAN HASSAN; IMAGE FROM NOMUHUB