Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
In some ways, Washmen’s story is similar to that of lots of other technology start-ups. A bright young thing has an idea to ‘disrupt’ a traditional industry by connecting customers directly to the service provider, cutting out unnecessary middlemen and using an ‘asset-light’ model that means they don’t have to build much of the infrastructure themselves.
However, as the company notches up its fifth year in business, its model has transformed. It now picks up, cleans and returns every piece of laundry itself, using an impressive set-up that can tell them what type of garment is being handled, who it belongs to and how many times it has been through their facility – effectively recording its journey through every step of the cleaning process.
“Every item that goes in, we have video footage that tags and tracks,” co-founder and chief executive Rami Shaar says.
“If you say ‘I didn’t like the pressing of that item’, we’ll take it over and say ‘fine, we’ll fix it’,” he says.
“We’ll want to know what happened. So we’ll go quickly into the camera, and from that – you’re talking about within seconds – it will show that shirt being pressed, what time it was pressed, who pressed it … we’ll know if it wasn’t a pressing issue or if it was a transportation issue.
“A simple problem leads to extreme investigation because … if this was an ongoing or recurring problem, we want to solve that.”
Mr Shaar is someone who takes a keen interest in the details. The Palestinian-Canadian began his career working in investment banking at Morgan Stanley before moving into private equity at Swicorp, which made a number of investments, including a chain of gyms in Jordan – one of which had a problem with a leak that was “causing a headache” for customers.
“I really wanted to get as involved as going and getting the plumber and getting it fixed and making the experience better. But in private equity I can’t get that involved. My boss told me, ‘you’re too expensive for that’," says Mr Shaar.
He spent a year in private equity, which he says taught him a lot in terms of thinking like an investor. He then left to start Washmen, only to be diverted for a year to work for Uber instead.
“I approached someone in Uber [and] discussed the [Washmen] idea with her. She said, ‘how about you put that idea on the side and join us at Uber? It’s a really exciting time for us’," he says.
“The next day I got a job interview and three days after that I got the offer.”
This was during Uber’s initial push into the Middle East, when the company only had a handful of employees.
In terms of getting his hands dirty, "Uber was as dirty as it gets", he jokes, adding that his operational role covered everything from going out on to the streets to recruit drivers to dealing with governments and regulators.
But the role taught him a lot about using technology and data "to be able to streamline operations without needing to hire a lot of people", which proved invaluable when he cofounded Washmen with chief operating officer Jad Halaoui in May 2015.
“I identified the laundry industry as being undisrupted for the last couple of decades – minimal tech innovation and a lot of room for improvement,” he said.
For instance, many of the neighbourhood laundries in areas across Dubai take in or pick up customers’ clothes, but often send them for washing or dry cleaning to a third-party industrial facility in areas like Al Quoz, Jebel Ali or Dubai Investment Park. With Washmen, Mr Shaar’s initial idea was simply to cut out the middleman through the app – the ‘asset-light’ model, where drivers pick up customers’ clothes and bring them directly to the industrial facilities, without having to pay rent for physical stores.
What’s changed in the five years since has been the drive for detail. The technology side had its frustrations, not least in finding capable staff, but this changed following the hiring of chief technology officer Ibrahim Bou Ncoula in August 2018.
“It took about seven months of, basically I call it flirting, with a candidate until we convinced them to come on board,” Mr Shaar said, adding that it was “the most important hire we have done” in the business, as he has recruited a team of engineers from universities in Lebanon who have helped to transform the business.
Operationally, although the company had worked with good laundries and even managed a little tech integration so that flows were optimised, “we realised there was a cap in terms of the amount of innovation you can do when you don’t own the asset”, Mr Shaar says.
“We also realised there was a cap in terms of quality laundromats in the city. So if we want to scale this five, six or seven times, we need to build our own facility.”
The company already had one wash and fold facility, but after raising $6.2 million (Dh22.77m) in Series B funding last year, it set about planning “potentially the best laundry facility in the world”.
The directors travelled around the world – to China, France, Germany, Singapore and South Korea – looking at laundries and equipment, then designing a system integrating the latest technology, such as a Wet Care system for washing clothes and Air Dry technology, with the entire journey monitored by a system of more than 100 sensor-activated cameras.
The 2,787 square metre facility in Jebel Ali took about eight months of planning, and a further eight months to build. Commissioning began in July last year and by December Washmen was handling all of its laundry in-house.
“Every single month after that it was getting better and better. Part of the KPIs we were looking at were damaged [and] missing item cleans,” Mr Shaar says.
“Those have significantly dropped to extremely low levels that we didn’t think was possible in a laundry. Over the last two or three months, we’ve been really on our best game.”
At peak periods, the company handles 12,000 items per day at its wash, dry and fold facility and about 5,000 at the new Jebel Ali launderette. It was built with growth in mind, though, with the capacity to handle about 25,000 items per day.
“In five years, I would see a very dominant Washmen in the UAE and a lot of smaller laundries going out of business. The laundry business hasn’t been doing well – especially businesses that are dependent on real estate, which we are not,” he says.
Among the investors in the company’s Series B round last year was Henkel Ventures, the corporate ventures arm of the German conglomerate that owns the Persil laundry detergent brand. Washmen was its first investment in the region, and Mr Shaar says that development of the company’s proprietary technology is the thing that has attracted capital.
"Being an operator and a developer at the same time allows you to build really good tech,” Mr Shaar says.
“Within the next six months we will be the ultimate vision of where we want this thing to get to in terms of technological advancement," he adds. After that, “you’ll see how we start thinking about this on a much bigger scale than just the UAE”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Manchester City, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
RACECARD%20
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Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Scores:
Day 4
England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)
Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining
Result
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Brraq, Ryan Curatolo (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m; Winner: Bright Melody, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Naval Crown, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m; Winner: Volcanic Sky, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Zainhom, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Book%20Details
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Teaching in coronavirus times
RACE CARD
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m
8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m
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
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%0D5pm%3A%20Al%20Bateen%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Ma%E2%80%99Aly%20Al%20Shahania%2C%20Bernardo%20Pinheiro%20(jockey)%2C%20Mohamed%20Daggash%20(trainer)%0D%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Khaleej%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Rami%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%0D%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Bant%20Al%20Emarat%2C%20Bernardo%20Pinheiro%2C%20Qaiss%20Aboud%0D%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Al%20Nahyan%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Rasam%2C%20Marcelino%20Rodrigues%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%0D%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Al%20Karamah%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Zafaranah%2C%20Bernardo%20Pinheiro%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Al%20Salam%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Nibras%20Passion%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Ismail%20Mohammed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Company%20profile
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The five pillars of Islam
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
