Arab-focused pop and contemporary art gifts are growing trends in the Arab world, especially in Saudi Arabia. Many new brands have emerged in recent years, however surviving competition is not always easy.
The Saudi startup Sadah is an online gift store that grabbed the attention of a wide range of customers in the Kingdom in its first year of business.
Founded in August 2019, Sadah offers a variety of products with unique cheery designs inspired by contemporary Arab music and culture.
“Sadah means something of a plain color or patternless shape or print, which is the opposite of what we offer at our store, but that is exactly what I liked because it always brings questions from followers,” Sadah founder Nasser Al-Jazwa told Arab News.
Al-Jazwa, 22, is a graphic designer who previously worked on projects and products for different companies, but was not happy that products did not match his vision for what he wants to do.
He decided to put an end to working for others and created his own product line, Sadah.
He started his online store from his house in Al-Qassim but soon found himself in need of an office and employees, which he soon acquired.
Sadah now has over 30,000 followers on Instagram.
It ship its products to Gulf Cooperation Council countries and is expanding to an international market.
According to customer reviews, Sadah has a reputation for distinguished designs and attention to the tiniest details.
“What makes us different is that most of our products are uniquely designed by us and they beautifully represent an Arab and Khaliji flavor,” said Al-Jazwa.
He believes that regardless of where products are manufactured, the most important part of introducing a product to a community is making sure it relates to their culture.
He said: “The product that carries your thoughts, ideas and culture is closer to you and you can easily relate to it, regardless of where it came from. For example, no one would appreciate our oud instrument pin which is made in China, except those who appreciate what the product is representing.”
Sadah’s products are designed to inject fun into people’s lives through a variety of socks, stickers, pins, mugs, pillows, cards and more.
All products can be found on sadahthings.com
The store targets young adults and teenagers by investing in their memories as well as modern trends. The designs are inspired by songs, TV series, movies, as well as memes and even sweets and candies from past and present.
“Our biggest goal is to please our beloved customers, who we call ‘Sadah friends,’ therefore we want to expand our reach and diversify and increase our products further,” Al-Jazwa said.
However, he added that the current business climate caused by the coronavirus pandemic is posing challenges for newer startups like Sadah.
“We are finding difficulties with logistics as manufacturing and shipping prices are increasing. However, the positive side of the crisis is that demand has suddenly become higher because more people are shopping online, but the current issues are slowing down the work,” he said.
Like any commercial enterprise, Sadah evaluates its success through sales numbers, however Al-Jazwa noted that “producing distinctive products is a success in itself.”
He added: “Though I am the founder, everyone who encouraged me to start the idea and those who supported me are contributors to its success.”