Dr Noha Khater does not like being told she cannot do or achieve something. If anything, the Egyptian entrepreneur says, it is almost like a challenge for her to then do precisely that.
Describing herself as a “high achiever”, Ms Khater, an ophthalmologist, was keen to tick all the boxes: she graduated top of her school, finished medical school and then her residency and PhD at Cairo University and pursued fellowship degrees in the UK.
“I remember very well when I decided to sub-specialise in ophthalmology. I decided to be a retina specialist, and everybody came and said, ‘there's no such thing as being a female retina specialist in Egypt. There are none, no patients will come to you. It will always be men who are leading this specialty in this field’. And of course, because someone told me you can't do it, I decided to do it,” she says.
That led her to pursue fellowship training in the US, where she witnessed the impact of poor diabetes management on eye disorders, including blindness. A key aspect was that patients who were from a lower economic background did not always have their records, which caused further issues.
Returning to Egypt, she began practising and set up her own private clinic in 2003, but remained keen to tackle the challenge of supporting more diabetic patients with better services and care.
“I wanted to create this specialised service where patients have their medical data on them, they don't have to carry it in this paper bag or plastic bag and lose it in their house or in the cab or anywhere.”
Five ways to prevent diabetes – in pictures
In 2014, she and a friend, Rania Kadry, started working on the concept of Almouneer, a health technology company, trialling an in-house software in her clinic. The company was officially launched three years later, in 2017.
“We started the first chain of tech-enabled clinics in Egypt, catering to diabetic eye diseases. And we had created our own software so, basically … it's a fully electronic medical record practice management system,” Ms Khater says.
The start-up then started providing its solution, called NoRa, to other clinics on a revenue-sharing basis.
As the next step, Almouneer, which means “one who lights” in Arabic, wanted to further personalise the experience. “We wanted the patient to have their own medical records on them, so they own their medical data,” says Ms Khater.
That led to the launch of the Dru app, where patients can upload their medical records and information about vitals such as sugar and blood pressure. The bilingual app, available in Arabic and English, also provides them reminders about medications.
Another key service, says Ms Khater, is that the subscription-based app offers a 24/7 medical support line, allowing patients to connect with doctors whenever they have concerns.
The rates start at $2 a month and patients also get discounts on lab services, radiology reports and other areas.
The company currently has a network of more than 200,000 patients and works with more than 70 providers.
In May, it partnered with the International Medical Centre, an Egyptian military hospital, with Ms Khater saying they are “growing the network” rapidly to add other hospitals and clinics.
The focus on diabetes is rising as the condition continues to affect a growing population worldwide.
Roughly one in 10 of the adult population (aged 20 to 79 years) or an estimated 537 million people have diabetes, the International Diabetes Federation's Diabetes Atlas (2021) report found.
Almost half are unaware that they are living with the condition.
The number of diabetics is predicted to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045, the report found.
In the Mena region, one in six adults (73 million) are living with diabetes, the report found, with one in three undiagnosed.
The number of adults with diabetes is expected to reach 95 million by 2030 and 136 million by 2045 in the region.
Meanwhile, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition occurs when high blood sugar damages blood vessels in the retina. Damaged blood vessels can swell and leak, causing blurry vision, the CDC states.
The increased focus on tackling the condition and its related health issues has led to a growth in the number of specialised service providers.
Almouneer, which was started with about $500,000 and bootstrapped until 2022, raised $3.6 million from its first seed investment round which closed last year.
It was led by Dubai-based Global Ventures, with participation from Proparco and Digital Africa, through the Bridge Fund, UK-based Wrightwood Investments – the family office of Diane and Henry Engelhardt, and other international funds.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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“We broke even very early on, we made sure of that because we had the mindset of bootstrapping from the very beginning,” Ms Khater says.
As a women-led venture in health care, the start-up “ticked a lot of boxes” and depended heavily on support, including SME loans from the government and grant funding from other organisations. It was also selected as a case study by Insead three times, all of which helped the start-up sustain through Covid-19 as well.
“After we took on the funding, we are now investing more in growth, we maintain our profitability, but … we can afford to hire talent, Ms Khater says. “The hires in tech are very challenging, very costly, especially in Egypt where now you have a lot of talent escaping towards certain countries that are actually a very important market for us.
“So, it is a different challenge. But we're trying to address it, especially as we move towards our regional expansion.”
The start-up aims to expand into Saudi Arabia first, to leverage the massive market in the kingdom.
“If we go to Saudi, we have to have a local team. We can keep part of the operations in Egypt because the overheads here are less, but going to Saudi we definitely will have … a very strong company presence, if not, maybe even consider having headquarters there,” she says.
The start-up is planning its series A funding round by the end of this year, and is hoping to raise a minimum of $10 million, which will be used to support its expansion into Saudi Arabia as well as the UAE.
As a tech venture, the start-up is also focused on data privacy and is investing in a data team to ensure compliance. It is already seeing major gains from the adoption of technology.
“We have data on how we have managed our patients, how we have improved their lifestyle – it's 70 per cent improvement, [we have] maintained the vision by 60 per cent,” Ms Khater says.
“And then we have the experience, we have the passion, we have the presence … so I think we have a good head start.”
Looking ahead, artificial intelligence will prove to be extremely beneficial, she says.
“It's going to help us in scaling, in serving more patients, in taking the right decisions, in looking at data in a different way, in using this data to assist the doctors, because the number of doctors in the world by no means can match the number of patients in the world. So, this is why you need more investment in technology and particularly in AI, so it's a blessing.”
Technology can also help providers ensure that they focus on prevention as much as possible.
“We want to serve our patients better and we believe that this very much starts with lifestyle, what you eat, how you exercise, how you sleep, and then, even if you have type two diabetes, you can reverse the disease by proper lifestyle management and awareness,” she says.
“My vision for the company is to become the number one lifestyle management app for any human being.”
Q&A with Dr Noha Khater, chief executive and co-founder of Almouneer
Who is your role model?
My father, because he inspired me. He made me believe that I can do whatever I want. That there is no limit to your ambition or your dreams and that no matter what people try to tell you, if you think you can do it, then you will do it. So for inspiring me to do the things that I thought I couldn't do.
If there was any other company that you could have started, what would it be?
[Something] in education.
If you could start all over again, is there anything that you would do differently?
Yes, I would educate myself more about financials.
What are the key things that you've learned in the process of setting up this venture?
It is important to build the proper structure from the very beginning and not to have to work things backward. I guess it's against the nature of an entrepreneur, but now that you move forward, you want to go back and start things the right way.
What is the key advice you would give to other entrepreneurs?
Choose the right partner. Don't give up. And there's always a way, it's never a dead end.
What is your personal vision?
I hope to create an impact in what I'm doing … I'm always driven by impact and value. You know, like when you treat a patient, when they come back to you and they are seeing well and they are happy, this is the best kind of reward you can ever get. I want to see the same in all the patients that we touch or we deal with.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECVT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E119bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E145Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh%2C89%2C900%20(%2424%2C230)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
Tiger%20Stripes%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amanda%20Nell%20Eu%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zafreen%20Zairizal%2C%20Deena%20Ezral%20and%20Piqa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E680hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E800Nm%20at%202%2C750-6%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERear-mounted%20eight-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E13.6L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Orderbook%20open%3B%20deliveries%20start%20end%20of%20year%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh970%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')
Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
Education reform in Abu Dhabi
The emirate’s public education system has been in a constant state of change since the New School Model was launched in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Education Council. The NSM, which is also known as the Abu Dhabi School Model, transformed the public school curriculum by introducing bilingual education starting with students from grades one to five. Under this new curriculum, the children spend half the day learning in Arabic and half in English – being taught maths, science and English language by mostly Western educated, native English speakers. The NSM curriculum also moved away from rote learning and required teachers to develop a “child-centered learning environment” that promoted critical thinking and independent learning. The NSM expanded by one grade each year and by the 2017-2018 academic year, it will have reached the high school level. Major reforms to the high school curriculum were announced in 2015. The two-stream curriculum, which allowed pupils to elect to follow a science or humanities course of study, was eliminated. In its place was a singular curriculum in which stem -- science, technology, engineering and maths – accounted for at least 50 per cent of all subjects. In 2016, Adec announced additional changes, including the introduction of two levels of maths and physics – advanced or general – to pupils in Grade 10, and a new core subject, career guidance, for grades 10 to 12; and a digital technology and innovation course for Grade 9. Next year, the focus will be on launching a new moral education subject to teach pupils from grades 1 to 9 character and morality, civic studies, cultural studies and the individual and the community.
Illegal%20shipments%20intercepted%20in%20Gulf%20region
%3Cp%3EThe%20Royal%20Navy%20raid%20is%20the%20latest%20in%20a%20series%20of%20successful%20interceptions%20of%20drugs%20and%20arms%20in%20the%20Gulf%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2011%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUS%20coastguard%20recovers%20%2480%20million%20heroin%20haul%20from%20fishing%20vessel%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%208%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20coastguard%20vessel%20USCGC%20Glen%20Harris%20seizes%20heroin%20and%20meth%20worth%20more%20than%20%2430%20million%20from%20a%20fishing%20boat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Anti-tank%20guided%20missiles%20and%20missile%20components%20seized%20by%20HMS%20Lancaster%20from%20a%20small%20boat%20travelling%20from%20Iran%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOctober%209%2C%202022%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERoyal%20Navy%20frigate%20HMS%20Montrose%20recovers%20drugs%20worth%20%2417.8%20million%20from%20a%20dhow%20in%20Arabian%20Sea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeptember%2027%2C%202022%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20Naval%20Forces%20Central%20Command%20reports%20a%20find%20of%202.4%20tonnes%20of%20heroin%20on%20board%20fishing%20boat%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Brief scores:
Everton 2
Walcott 21', Sigurdsson 51'
Tottenham 6
Son 27', 61', Alli 35', Kane 42', 74', Eriksen 48'
Man of the Match: Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)
BABYLON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Damien%20Chazelle%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Margot%20Robbie%2C%20Jean%20Smart%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
