Internet business is proving to be a whole new field of opportunity for Saudi women who have the knowledge, confidence and creativity to enter it. One such example of providing service using the new technology is Saudi Afrah (Saudi Weddings) website. Preparing for a wedding can be very stressful, and stress is the last thing a bride-to-be wants before the big day — or night as it is here. The gown, the wedding hall, the flower arrangements, the invitations and the list goes on and on; all of these aspects call for decisions to be made and finalized within a both a time and a financial limit. When Nehad Sulaimani experienced any number of hassles choosing what she wanted for her wedding, she recognized the need for an Internet site to make everything much easier and more convenient. “At that time, there were no sites available to help me,” she said. So with her and some other friends, she founded a website in English and Arabic — Saudi Afrah. “It is a comprehensive site, full of information related to preparations before, during and after a wedding. There is everything for the bride and groom according to their budget,” said Sulaimani. There is a checklist, a song list, and a step-by-step planner that makes planning for a wedding very easy and guarantees that nothing is forgotten. There is a chat box, a forum and a monthly question related to weddings and marriage. All this has made Saudi Afrah a very interactive and informative site. It has information on wedding halls, flower shops, singers and all sorts of wedding-related things in major Saudi cities and in some other Arab ones. “People visiting our site can click on the city or country they are in and receive information on services available to them there.” The site gets plenty of hits from brides and their mothers and from some grooms who are interested in finding out about honeymoon cruises. “People are hearing about us by word-of-mouth and we are being asked to provide information for other Arab countries,” said Sulaimani.
What differentiates this site from others that copied it after its launch last year is its wedding coordinator. “We have a professional wedding coordinator who answers the enquiries she receives by e-mail and who can meet with the bride and coordinate her wedding if she wants,” said Sulaimani.
Saudi Afrah offers to its users discount cards for flower shops, beauty salons, and card printing shops which advertise on the website. “Shop owners are still reluctant to advertise on the Internet. We encourage them to try and then they discover that others have tried it and it was good business for them,” said Sulaimani.
The editor of the site, Aisha Aziz Dia, posts articles discussing various issues related to marriage, interviews with professionals on dealing with marital problems, and articles about various people’s experiences their recommendations. “Many girls are excited about the wedding ceremony and rarely think about the married life to follow,” said Dia. The site is full of considerations that go beyond the wedding ceremony. There is an etiquette instructor giving tips on such things as table arrangements and how to speak eloquently, and a baby section where new products for babies and pregnant women not available in the market can be ordered through the website. A new addition that Sulaimani is excited about is the doctor’s section. “Specialists will be answering people’s enquiries through our website and we will have a referral list of doctors in various cities,” she said. “We are planning to have regular seminars by doctors to discuss health problems and women’s concerns,” said Dia. She is currently supervising the production of their first catalog which will include articles on traditional Saudi weddings as well as the latest wedding fashions and designs.
Arab News Features 10 April 2003
