Diaa Ihreiz Founder of Ta7awaj
With a vast interest to explore the inner working of the world of digital technology, Diaa Ihreiz’s enterprising pursuits started during his early studies in Computer Systems and Networks at the Polytechnic University in Hebron. Soon after, Diaa started his own low-scale e-business that revolved around the resale of merchandise from Ali Express to local Palestinian markets through a dedicated Facebook page. With a strong belief that digital innovation would diffuse into the economy and forever revolutionize human output, he remained diligent to do what it takes to break through barriers.
During his studies, Diaa already had some experience in digital marketing and digital media. However, he still needed to season his practical and technical skills to enhance his professional abilities and streamline TAJAWAJ before its launch.
Being an ambitious and determined self-starter, Diaa needed to grasp the essential tools in order to bring his startup idea to life. It was as this critical juncture that Diaa joined MENACatalyst’s latest support program, Self-Employment in a Digital Age, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The program is aimed at empowering a new generation of self-starters with access to an all-inclusive digital marketing program designed to enhance their competencies in the field while via mentorship, specialized training courses, and the ability to secure new clients. The program paved the way for Diaa to take Ta7awaj to the next level, as he was able to work with MENACatalyst’s team of digital marketing experts, business professionals, industry partners, and mentors from inside and outside of Palestine.
For the initial stages of ta7awaj, Diaa will focus on implementing digital marketing services, product photography, graphic design, content writing, and create marketing plans for vendors. Gradually, he’s incorporated B2B sellers, vendors from West Bank, Jerusalem, and the 48 regions, to his e-commerce platform, with a variety of shopping categories to final sale consumers. The shop will include departments in apparel, home décor, jewelry, beauty and personal care, health and wellness, electronics, sports gear, office and stationery supplies, handicrafts (embroidery, ceramics, woodcrafts), and hajj accessories with 24/7 customer service.
“At Ta7awaj we aim to provide a safe environment, smart atmosphere, and an easy-to-use platform to make shopping efficient and simple for everyone.” – Diaa Ihreiz
Since joining the program, what started as a business concept has now developed into a market-ready startup currently in its final stages. As a result of MENACatalyst’s team of mentors and industry experts guiding Diaa through the stages of development, Ta7awaj will be ready to launch during May 2021.
With a contingency plan prepared, Diaa took into consideration market uncertainties that swept the globe by surprise due to the Covid-19 pandemic that halted many businesses from operating. Not only has Diaa managed to secure several contracts from apparel and houseware vendors in Hebron to market their goods on Ta7awaj, but has also secured a logistics company to fulfill all local deliveries.