JEDDAH: With the advent of social-networking sites, who needs an old-fashioned matchmaker to help them find a future partner? A young delightful modern-day matchmaker has created a group on Facebook — entitled “Cupid … picking on you” — to allow lonely hearts to be self-sufficient in their quest for companionship.

Maha Taher, a 25-year-old from Riyadh, created the matchmaking group on Facebook to help single people find partners. She believes there is a match out there for everyone. It was after a personal experience that she decided to help single people find the perfect match.

“This began when I was studying at college in Switzerland and it was hard for me to meet and get to know a decent Muslim man abroad who would be compatible for me. So I met a relative on Facebook and we helped each other find a compatible match through the people we knew. This is funny but we ended up marrying each other since we were compatible,” said Taher who has been married for a year now.

Her main goal is to introduce people to other people who would normally not have the opportunity to meet. “So far, I have introduced five couples. After getting married I realized I had a lot of single girlfriends and my husband had a lot of single male friends who were looking to get married and so I introduced the well-suited ones to each other and this is how it started. It began with friends, and friends told friends and things kept on proceeding and here I am with a Facebook group,” said Taher.

Since beginning the group, she has accumulated the details of a lot of prospective husband and wives, three to four a day, even from strangers and people she does not know. “I decided to open a specific e-mail for this, [email protected], and launch a website, www.na9eeb.com, which is currently under construction. The website will launch anytime soon when it’s complete,” she said.

The website will be a legitimate marriage website and will be personally managed by Taher. “I will handle each candidate’s request confidentially because people know I am honest, trustworthy and reliable, and that I am trying really hard to find them a good match,” she explained.

The group’s wall is full of inspirational love quotes and videos on how to manage relationships. Postings include several quotes and videos by Dr. Helen Fisher, a Ph.D. biological anthropologist who has written five books on the evolution and future of human love, marriage and gender differences in the brain. “Love is in us, it’s deeply embedded in the brain, our challenge is to understand each other,” is one of Fisher’s inspirational quotes posted by Taher on the wall. Marriage-seekers wishing to find partners through the group first need to fill in a questionnaire and send to Taher, who will arrange a one-on-one interview if a suitable match found.

“The website will include the questionnaire I have on the Facebook group plus a database for me to check profiles. It will not be an online dating service where people have profiles and can message and chat with each other. I will arrange pre-marriage counseling sessions to teach people the realistic expectation for marriage is not a Hollywood fantasy,” she said.

Taher chose the name na9eeb, which means destiny. “Whomever God destines you to be with you will be with regardless of anything and it takes the responsibility away from me. I try my best to introduce the right people to each other but then I back off where chemistry and destiny become involved,” she said.

Taher, who describes herself as cupid’s little helper, said she left her job and is now doing something that she loves which is helping people.  “For some odd reason people are being extra receptive to my idea. People are really helping one another out, they are telling me about their single friends, eligible sisters and anyone they think is compatible for the candidates I am looking for and if not they’re asking me to help that person out,” she said.

“This would have never been possible without the help of people,” said Taher, adding that people are actually encouraging her.

“Married people are helping their single loved ones around them as well which makes me extremely happy … we are all working hand in hand to spread love, happiness and halal marriages,” she said.