What could be more on demand and in demand than laundry in the UAE? Now a number of new online businesses are working to disrupt the traditional shopfront industry by offering customers business models that play to their needs.
Washmen is among the new crop of online laundries. Founded in 2015, its co-founder and chief executive Rami Shaar says an online-only business means it can charge less for cleaning.
“Sixty per cent of the volume in any laundry is shirts,” says the 28-year-old Palestinian-Canadian entrepreneur. “We charge Dh9; if I was a conventional laundry I would be charging double to maintain the same premium quality service.
“The beauty of the business is it’s quite lean; we try to offer the best possible quality at the lowest possible price point.”
An early entry into the market was Laundrybox. Founded in 2013, it proved so popular as an app-based cleaning service that it has expanded into Mybox, which also provides shoe and device repairs, tailoring and alteration.
The premise is based around lockers. You set up your order online or on the app and a locker password is assigned to you – the locker is then yours for the duration of that service cycle. Drop off your laundry, or phone, or shoes, and pick it up from the same locker – the very next day in the case of laundry.
“The entire value chain is automated,” says co-founder Bader Al Kalooti. “As an investment banker in a previous life, I always needed a fresh shirt and suit. I had a hectic schedule and travelled a lot. There were a lot of pain points, particularly meeting and coordinating with the delivery guy. The locker is 24/7 and eliminates the need to interact.”
There are 85 Mybox lockers across Dubai, from Downtown to the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and DIFC, all in high-rise residential buildings. Later, Kuwaiti Mr Al Kalooti, 34, plans to put lockers in university dormitories, commercial buildings and villa compounds too.
To control quality, he set up his own laundromat facility with 15 drivers and cars. A shirt costs Dh11 to dry clean or launder and Dh6 to press, while a two-piece suit costs Dh39 or Dh25 for the same services.
Other services are outsourced; shoe repair costs from Dh30 and trouser alteration from Dh45.
Mr Al Kalooti and his partner brother, who joined the business almost two years ago, plan to add package delivery and a “micro” storage facility for spare clothes to the mix soon. They have 12,000 registered users and have taken 175,000 orders since launch.
With Washmen’s app, you schedule a 30-minute pickup and drop-off any time between 9am-11.30pm, seven days a week. Turnaround is 48 hours, with a 50 per cent surcharge for a next-day delivery.
Unlike Laundrybox, Washmen also outsources its laundry to a secret, “super-automated” laundromat, one of the largest in the world, which handles 3,000 items a day for them.
“We spend quite a lot of money to acquire customers – what’s the point if we can’t retain them?” he says.
The business leases its vans and employs its own drivers and Mr Shaar, also a former banker, says the other benefit of an online-only laundry is cheap, targeted marketing to customers.
The newest service Washmen offers is an all-you-can-wash service for Dh79. Items are folded but not pressed. Customers are invited to stuff as much as they can into the bag; “one put 112 items in”, says Mr Shaar.
Issam Maakabry launched The Laundry Clubs in Abu Dhabi in January, having built his career in the hotel industry.
With the help of a silent partner, he has sunk Dh1.8 million into buying washing and dry cleaning machines in a 650 square metre facility which can cater for 4,000 clients.
It is a traditional pickup service but you can email or WhatsApp your orders. The business works on a membership model: Dh350 per person per month to wash and press clothes to “hotel standard” and an extra Dh100 for bedding and towels. For that you can send in unlimited items over the month for a 48-hour turnaround.
Syrian Mr Maakabry, 29, has signed up more than 600 members in just two months. “We provide a hotel luxury touch,” he says, “with even a special perfumed smell.”
Washmen has received $400,000 in seed funding plus an undisclosed, seven-figure sum recently, while Mybox has had $2.7m in investment.
But as Mr Shaar of Washmen says, it was an industry in need of disruption.
“As real estate prices keep going up, laundries cannot just keep passing the costs on to customers,” he says.
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THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km