Chats with her friends gave her the first glimpses of a problem, and when she took the problem to her husband, he let her in on his ju-jitsu conundrum. There was a spark of inspiration. Soon they hit upon the possibility of introducing a “lively, welcoming friend” who would get us all in Muscat merrily on the move.
On an episode of the popular American business reality TV series, Shark Tank, one of the ‘sharks’ and renowned serial entrepreneur,Mark Cuban, said: “Don’t start a business, find a solution to a problem that people face. That is how you succeed.”
Rawnaq Al-Gheithy’s newly launched app, Tamreen, is a fine example of this.
When Rawnaq was let go from her job as a result of the economic repercussions of the pandemic, she decided to make her entrepreneurial move. But the decision to start her own venture did not happen overnight.
“During conversations with friends and acquaintances, there would be queries like “Where can I find information about ballet classes for my daughter?” or “Where do we find hiking groups?” I mentioned this to my husband, who remarked that he was trying to find a ju-jitsu class to enrol in. That’s when I realised there is a problem and maybe I could provide the solution. That’s how Tamreen was born,” says Rawnaq, CEO and co-founder of Tamreen.
An alumna of the University of Minnesota, Rawnaq holds a degree in Human Resource Development (with business psychology). She joined a bank after moving back to Oman but left the corporate world when she realised that was not her cup of tea. Rawnaq then joined the radio where she worked until the advent of Tamreen.
Tamreen, which means movement in Arabic, is the Sultanate’s first all-inclusive sports and recreation booking platform. Available on both App Store and Play Store, Tamreen allows users to book classes or sessions of their choice from a variety of activities. The partners include yoga, fitness and dance studios, gyms, and other outdoor activity groups.
It took Rawnaq and her husband, Saleh Ismaily, who is also the co-founder, two years to bring their dream to life.
“Once we realised the need for such an app, we started conducting market research and surveys and spoke with business owners to understand what they required. Through Tamreen we intend to bridge the gap between end users and businesses,” says Rawnaq, who is a fitness enthusiast herself and a certified Zumba as well as F45 instructor.
With the plan in place, they decided to take the big step. They found an investor who believed in their vision of filling the gap in the market and got on board to bring the idea to life.
“Together with a branding agency in Bahrain, we created the personality of Tamreen. I wanted Tamreen to be a lively, welcoming friend to every user. Our app is not about losing 5 or 10 kilos; it is to get you moving,” says Rawnaq.
While the world battled Covid and eventually came to terms with it, Rawnaq, Saleh, and their tech worked through the period to create Tamreen. The app was launched in June 2022. Tamreen has been getting rave reviews from users and businesses that are on board.
Through Tamreen we intend to bridge the gap between end users and businesses
Rawnaq Al-Gheithy
Sharing her plans for the future, Rawnaq says: “One of our biggest goals is to bring more partners on to Tamreen. We would also like to branch out into events – be a part of and host events. We also like to be the ticketing gateway to the big and popular sporting events in Oman. Once we have some solid roots in Oman, we would like to branch out into the rest of GCC.”
When asked about her advice for budding entrepreneurs, she said having a mentor was vital. “I sought out a mentor to guide me along the way.I do not come from a business family. Nor does my husband. Having never launched a business before, there were moments when I doubted myself. When I had imposter syndrome my mentor helped me work through it. It helps that he is from the fitness industry and is an entrepreneur as well. I have learned so much from him,” says Rawnaq.
