Queen listens to start-up founders’ views on challenges, concerns

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Wednesday visited tasmeemME’s Co-Working space and met with its founder and CEO Noor El Fadl, as well as a group of young entrepreneurs.

The visit was in recognition of “the accomplishments and successes of young Jordanian entrepreneurs,” according to a statement from the Queen’s office. 

Launched in Amman in 2009, tasmeemme.com is "the first regional" website dedicated to promoting Arab designers and creative individuals, and it specialises in connecting young skilled Arabs in the design industry with job opportunities wherever they may be, according to a statement from the Queen's office.

Fadl and her team briefed Her Majesty on the aim of the website and elaborated on how its primary focus is to be able to create job opportunities for as many young Arabs as possible.

The Queen also met with a group of young entrepreneurs who are currently incubated at tasmeemME’s Co-Working space, in addition to those who have left and are currently operating on their own, the statement said. 

The meeting discussed the start-up scene in Jordan from the entrepreneurs’ perspective.

The start-up companies, whose founders met with Her Majesty, include YEA, Karmah’s Kitchen, Sandbag Productions, Kama Local Gourmet and Talasim.com. 

Founders voiced their concerns and some of the challenges they face, such as funding, office space, licensing and several other bureaucratic hurdles.

In 2014, tasmeemME won the gold prize for best online services at the Jordan App and Web Awards, as well as first prize at the Arabnet Awards for best start-up in 2010. 

To date, the site hosts over 20,000 registered designers who have shared over 205,000 design files and advertised over 2,600 job opportunities, out of which 1,500 were taken on.

tasmeemME is now working to provide online educational courses in Arabic to help develop the skills and talent of designers, with the aim of increasing their chances of finding the most suitable job, the statement said.