Abu Dhabi’s startup ecosystem exudes an air of possibilities

21 Feb, 2021

We caught up with Alaa Ahmed, Co-founder and CEO of 3Leem - a mobile application that provides a wide collection of audiobooks in Arabic for school students, facilitating an educational environment for children outside of the school framework. 3Leem aims to enhance academic performance by engaging in out-of-school reading and listening. Prior to starting 3Leem, Alaa was a freelancer equipped with the dream and the drive to scale the seas of business.

What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
The main reason I became an entrepreneur was to breathe life into my ideas .I started my career as a freelancer but later I wanted to expand my horizons. I received guidance from an entrepreneur to hire someone and assign them tasks that did not require my involvement. Slowly, one person grew into a team and I gradually established 3Leem as my brainchild. I went on to act as co-founder of another startup as well. Throughout the process, I had unwavering trust in my potential and continued translating my concepts to reality.

Congratulations on recently joining Hub71. Why did you apply to join the community?
I have heard many stories about the positive atmosphere within the Hub71 community. To be part of such a supportive and stimulating environment was something I had always aspired for.

What is it about doing business in Abu Dhabi that excites you the most?
The stability of Abu Dhabi’s business infrastructure as well as the acceptance and flexibility of people to new ideas is quite exhilarating to me.

What are your aspirations for 2021?
My aspiration for this year is to make 3Leem available to school students across MENA and to introduce them to the concept of learning through audiobooks – an area largely unexplored.

What advice would you give anyone who’s considering relocating their startup to a new location?
Choose Abu Dhabi, of course!  A comfortable destination, a supportive community, a rewarding startup ecosystem – you name it, Abu Dhabi has it.

To find out more about 3Leem
Apply to the Hub71 Incentive Program