The coronavirus pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for businesses around the world, but it has also accelerated the growth of ecommerce as people increasingly rely on online services.
Saudi interior designer Abrar Saggaf (@Abrarsaggaf) launched her brand Shaqmata in July at the peak of the outbreak in the Kingdom.
But, rather than get bogged down by the economic conditions thrown up by the pandemic, Saggaf decided to challenge herself with something new.
“I asked myself a question: Why would one limit themselves to one specialty, career, and source of income when they can invest in their talents and explore many potential opportunities?” she told Arab News. “I opened my drawer and found that I had many drawings which I collected over the years, and they resembled our local culture and I decided to convert my art style into products.”
Shaqmata (@shaqmata), which means scribbles in Arabic, turns Saggaf’s art into everyday products.
For years she had been encouraged by friends on social media to make decorative items like rugs and pillows out of her drawings that were the product of her stress-relief strategy — doodling.
Saggaf began with bags and has launched three designs since July. The designs are based on three different characters she created to resemble a certain culture.
She is also working on launching a new product — a modern abaya or light jacket — within a month.
What sets Shaqmata apart from other brands are its reasonable price point, as well as its quality and sophisticated design.
“Each character of our products has a name, a birth date, and a story. The more you give depth to your product the more people can connect with it,” she added. “At the beginning people used to order the products by design, now they know the designs by their names.”
Shaqmata targets a wide audience. Anyone interested in something unique and special that has a story — but is also practical — is a potential customer for Saggaf.
“Also, those interested in creative local brands and culture and art enthusiasts.”
Her 10 years of interior design experience, together with her passion for art, helped to grow her business in a few months.
“Although this is a completely new experience for me, my long experience in interior design helped me understand how to satisfy the needs of the targeted audience.”
She encouraged young people to seize opportunities and dare to take the first step toward their dream projects. “If people try to explore themselves, everyone will be able to find a hidden talent inside that’s worthy of their attention and investment.”
Saggaf currently sells her products on Instagram and delivers them to all regions of Saudi Arabia. But they will soon be available at two concept stores in Jeddah and will become available in Riyadh and Alkhobar as well.
She also wanted to offer her products to a wider audience worldwide, with her brand functioning as a platform for creative artists with similar interests to contribute to it.
“My goals are limitless. I want to take this project to grow as big as possible, reaching customers all over the world.”
Startup of the Week: Investing in art and culture in times of crisis
https://arab.news/wew6f
Startup of the Week: Investing in art and culture in times of crisis
- Saggaf currently sells her products on Instagram and delivers them to all regions of Saudi Arabia
How science is reshaping early years education
DUBAI: As early years education comes under renewed scrutiny worldwide, one UAE-based provider is making the case that nurseries must align more closely with science.
Blossom Nursery & Preschool, which operates 32 locations across the UAE, is championing a science-backed model designed to close what it sees as a long-standing gap between research and classroom practice.
“For decades, early years education has been undervalued globally — even though science shows the first five years are the most critical for brain development,” said Lama Bechara-Jakins, CEO for the Middle East at Babilou Family and a founding figure behind Blossom’s regional growth, in an interview with Arab News.
She explained that the Sustainable Education Approach was created to address “a fundamental gap between what we know from science and what actually happens in nurseries.”
Developed by Babilou Family, the approach draws on independent analysis of research in neuroscience, epigenetics, and cognitive and social sciences, alongside established educational philosophies and feedback from educators and families across 10 countries. The result is a framework built around six pillars; emotional and physical security, natural curiosity, nature-based learning, inclusion, child rhythms, and partnering with parents.
Two research insights, Bechara-Jakins says, were particularly transformative. “Neuroscience shows that young children cannot learn until they feel safe,” she said, adding that stress and inconsistent caregiving can “literally alter the architecture of the developing brain.”
Equally significant was evidence around child rhythms, which confirmed that “pushing children academically too early is not just unhelpful — it can be counterproductive.”
Feedback from families and educators reinforced these findings. Across regions, common concerns emerged around pressure on young children, limited outdoor time and weak emotional connections in classrooms. What surprised her most was that “parents all sensed that something was missing, even if they couldn’t articulate the science behind it.”
At classroom level, the strongest body of evidence centres on secure relationships. Research shows that “secure attachments drive healthy brain development” and that children learn through trusted adults. At Blossom, this translates into practices such as assigning each child “one primary educator,” prioritising calm environments, and viewing behaviour through “a neuroscience lens — as stress signals, not misbehaviour.”
Bechara-Jakins believes curiosity and nature remain overlooked in many early years settings, despite strong evidence that both accelerate learning and reduce stress. In urban centres such as Dubai, she argues, nature-based learning is “not a luxury. It is a developmental need.”
For Blossom, this means daily outdoor time, natural materials, gardening, and sensory play — intentional choices aimed at giving children what science says they need to thrive.
