Et3arraf is a meeting of the ways: old evolving into the new. Image via Et3arraf. Hundreds of years ago in the Arabian Desert, the Khattaba matchmaker would connect men and women of marriageable age, under the supervision of their tight-knit families and communities. The wise woman would vet the prospective couples and their families, learning about their values, their habits and their beliefs. Today, the courting customs in Saudi Arabia remain steeped in tradition and strict protocols remain, but one key thing has changed: almost everyone has gone online, from the suitors to the parents to the Khattaba.
As young Lebanese men leading a modern life in Beirut, they do not fit the profile of a traditional Saudi matchmaker. But they have been able to tap into a relatively unmet and growing demand: traditional yet tech-savvy and well-educated Saudis who need help finding a spouse. Last year Et3arraf began focusing on Saudi Arabia, where about 70 percent of his ,strong community were from around 10 percent come from Egypt, followed by single digits in other Arab countries.
Cofounders Rakan Nimer and Cedric Maalouf. Online matchmaking is becoming an increasingly socially acceptable way for people to find 'the one'. According to a Pew study published in February, a growing number of Americans find online dating socially acceptable, and the use of dating websites by young adults has tripled since Similar patterns are seen in other parts of the world as Tinder, until recently known as an app for casual hookups, has become a common way for ordinary people to initiate romantic relationships and friendships.
In Saudi Arabia mobile phone penetration is among the highest in the Arabic-speaking world. Connections stand at percent of the population due to multi-SIM ownership and smartphone ownership is just over half of that, according to the GSMA Arab States report. Other popular sites include ArabLounge. The technology includes text filtering and spam prevention, which allows users to find suitable matches quickly and unusual activity, such as women initiating contact with men, is immediately flagged as spam.
For example, although many users say on their quiz that they are open to meeting potential matches from around the world, data shows that long-distance conversations quickly peter off while people in close proximity tend to have longer and frequent exchanges. He said a Saudi man and a Moroccan woman exchanged an average of 16 messages, compared with between two Saudis.
