MUST HAVE APPS

WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE 2021 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT Apps make lives easier, boost business From financial institutions, companies to ride-hailing firms, has many must have apps.

SACHIN KUMAR mobile apps. Banks, insurance or other The apps allow customers to perform Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Qatar’s convenience, accessibility, and personal THE PENINSULA financial service companies, retailers, myriad of functions from their home or leading digital bank, has recently offers. The All new QIB Mobile App has restaurants, transport firms and other wherever they are, removing the need announced the launch of an all-new a new, innovative and well-defined echnology was already companies now offer their products and to visit physical offices or branches of version of its Mobile App. This is not just structure, enabling customers to get to playing an important role services through their own apps or third- the companies. a simple update, but a milestone for the service they need in one or maximum in our lives, but the party marketplace. From government departments, mobile banking in Qatar and the region two taps. outbreak of COVID-19 has The rush to launch apps is not due financial institutions, food delivery that allows customers to have full control Commercial Bank’s new and only accentuated its utility. to any compulsion but is driven by their companies to ride-hailing firms, Qatar of their banking needs, 24/7 from improved mobile banking app offers a Mobile applications (apps) usefulness for customers and firms. has many must have apps. anywhere in the world via the App. new design, experience and exceptional Thave become indispensable nowadays Having an app is a win-win situation for Some apps, like those from QIB, QIIB, This state-of-the-art achievement in benefits to users. The new app makes it as they have made lives easier for its customers and companies, both. For Commercial Bank, talabat, Alfardan Mobile App technologies will change the easier for customers to track total credits users during these trying times. customers, they provide ease of access Exchange, Landmark Group Qatar, way customers do banking forever, with and debits in their accounts. Setting up Seeing their usefulness, almost all the at performing tasks, while it reduces Nando's, tuzzut, Fenix, Carrefour and 100+ features available at their fingertips, beneficiaries for local and international institutions in Qatar, be it public or operating costs for companies and Ryde, make our day-to-day life much putting them in charge of your financial transfers is now quicker and easier on private sector, have launched their institutions. easier. life with more control, security, mobile. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

talabat: Affordability, reliability and speed

he region’s talabat’s main focus leading food is speed, affordability delivery and talabat mart has and reliability - ensuring q-commerce the best-in-class platform, become a leading experience is provided. Ttalabat, is customers’ top This includes onboarding choice when selecting a player in groceries’ more restaurants to help delivery app for all their them reach a wider food, groceries and non- deliveries, thanks to its audience and generate food essentials. more sales, as well as Technology is unique model which offer customers a wider playing a big part in our selection of restaurants daily life, and ever since allows delivery in less too. It also includes the pandemic, the maximising convenience technological than 30 minutes. through new verticals, transformation has alongside food delivery, accelerated further such as groceries, across multiple fronts. pharmacies, flowers and This level of advancement definitely came in non-food. talabat’s teams make sure to provide handy when the public were looking for a the best offers to their customers, with the fastest sustainable way to continue their day-to-day and lowest delivery fee lives from home. Knowing that the delivery of essentials was Overall, consumers have shown a growing a great concern across all communities, talabat preference towards food and grocery delivery introduced their quick commerce (Q-Commerce) services. With that comes the increased solution through talabat mart: a delivery only importance to really master customer-experience hub, providing groceries to consumers in 30 throughout their journey, which is why talabat minutes or less, which was a first in Qatar. has been evolving at an impressive pace. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Khalid M Al-Shafi

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR SUPPLEMENT EDITOR ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR DESIGN Mohammed Salim Mohamed Pramod Prabhakaran Rocela Bautista Abraham Augusthy MUST HAVE APPS II WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE 2021

MUST HAVE APPS IV WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE 2021

tuzzut.com: An online marketplace with all the things you need

leading onlinee HHome made products and shopping portaltal ppersonalizeder artworks are also in Qatar, iinn the pipeline. Customers also tuzzut.com eenjoy loyalty rewards for all Nando’s Qatar app makes offers a host tthe purchases from the portal. Aof items from tuzzut.com boasts of electronics to toys. Its ssome of the best offers and ordering food easy boundless product ddiscounts in Qatar online niche includes sspace, especially their limited electronics, perfumes, titime offer, which comes up raving a saucy flame-grilled, exclusive offers just for takeaway clothing, mobile wiwitht some unique deals that no PERi-PERi chicken? Now you customers. accessories, home one ccan refuse and is very can have your favourite chicken The schedule option is even more useful appliances, tablets, bags, shoesshoes, popular wwith customers. delivered to you with just a few as to avoid any last-minute rush. You can beauty products, wallets, educational toys, The website is easy to navigate and taps using the Nando’s Qatar place your order in advance and schedule it flowers, gadgets and many more. the zoom in option allows customers to online ordering app or website. for delivery or takeaway at your preferred “Our clients are satisfied by the wide see the product closer and they offer all CThe app comes with ordering tracking feature time. range of products we offer on our necessary product detail a customer will that helps you to track your order and to top The app is very easy to load, navigate with platform and also the customer need before making a purchase. it all the delivery is free as of now. detailed description of each menu item service we provide,” tuzzut.com Being a marketplace hosting Available on Android and iPhone play including the calorie counts. spokesperson said. numerous sellers gives tuzzut.com an stores, what makes Nando's Qatar stand out There are many options to customise your tuzzut.com has pioneered in Qatar as a advantage over single store online portals. is the schedule and takeaway pick up options. meal, or to find exclusive deals like happy leader in affiliate program, where anyone tuzzut.com is more like a mall offering The collect option makes a lot of sense as hour, sharing at home platters or other special can join and promote products and earn you all that you need at one place. From you can place the order on the app while promotions. commission. The portal also provides easy flowers to folding tents they have a huge leaving work and swing by to the nearest You can also buy the Nando’s famous registration option for sellers from all over list of products at very competitive Nando’s branch on your way home and pick PERi-PERi sauce bottles through the Nando’s Qatar thus broadening its product base. price. up your food in a jiffy. There are some Qatar mobile app.

MUST HAVE APPS VI WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE 2021 We’re always ahead of the curve and are constantly improving: talabat MD

talabat Qatar Managing Director Francisco Miguel de Sousa speaks to The Peninsula about how COVID-19 pandemic changed the business, the safety measure they took and the future plans.

eveloping new programs to provide flexi-break feature, which means that whenever a diversified choice for customers, our riders need time to refresh, they can do so tying up with new partners, talabat without questions asked, and we encourage them has many things in the pipeline to to do so. Our algorithms in our app also map out expand further in Qatar. In an the safest and quickest way to a customer's Dextensive interview with The Peninsula, Fran- location - meaning that they can also focus on cisco Miguel de Sousa (pictured), Managing the road, not needing to think about which ways Director, talabat Qatar, explains the challenges to get there. faced during the pandemic times and gives an Currently, over 70% of the orders placed on outlook of what lies ahead for the market leader. our platform, whether they are delivered by tal- abat’s own delivery fleet or by the restaurant itself How the COVID-19 pandemic changed your are delivered by cars, which increases signifi- business last year? cantly during the summer. We currently do not As any other business in the world, we were brand our cars - but approximately our fleet certainly affected by the global pandemic. It has includes more than 2000 cars. Qatar” export to , giving the opportunity customers and quickly adapt to their evolving reshaped e-commerce and specifically food During the day that percentage is substan- to several small businesses in Qatar to have their needs. As a leader in the market, with a strong delivery services. We found ourselves in a position tially higher, as we take our rider's well being products sold on talabat Mart in Kuwait. Our next impact on the local communities, we are contin- where customers were relying on us to safely seriously. If they are on bikes, we equip our riders steps would be to start exporting to , KSA, uously working towards Qatar National Vision deliver food, groceries, and medicines to their with the latest safety and cooling equipment, and , , and Turkey among others. 2030 and are looking forward to welcoming FIFA homes, and restaurants needed us to keep their our shifts are shorter. Only in specific times of We’re in a fast growing and a fast moving 2022 in Qatar. business going. Needless to say, safety was of our the day, and in specific areas, to avoid mass con- industry, and it’s up to us to continue to be the utmost importance that is why we were the first gestion, do we deploy our riders. pioneers and pace-setters in the MENA region. With many new delivery apps entering the in the region to introduce gloves, masks and san- Every day we focus more on the customers. Win market, what makes you different from others? itisers for our riders and solutions such as con- What are your plans for the Qatar Market? hearts and minds. If you win the hearts and minds When we started the delivery business several tactless delivery from the start. We were con- After talabat mart, any other expansions in the of your customers, then your business will con- years ago, no one believed it would become so stantly liaising with governments to raise pipeline? tinue to flourish. If we look at talabat as a business successful. This comes with a major responsi- awareness about high industry safety standards talabat is very proud to be present and and its future: bility for us to be an example for so many local and the importance of allowing food deliveries. invested in Qatar, with the aim to further collab- Food delivery will always be our core applications and disrupt business models through talabat has been focusing on scaling upwards orate with local entities and contribute to Qatar’s business, and it is important that we keep on inno- high tech. even during the pandemic. We have diversified development. During the past few years, we vating in that space for our ecosystem. In Qatar, we partner with several comple- our offerings and integrated new verticals such launched impactful projects through partner- We’re continuing to focus our efforts on mentary businesses so we ensure the local as groceries, pharmacies, flowers and non food ships with over a hundred local entities. Q-Commerce, increasing talabat mart and dark business grows with us together. For example, delivery. This resulted in an increase in our man- A project close to our hearts was our collab- stores into our other markets, investing in AI, data we just tied up with the Ryde app, which is doing power accordingly, and will continue to do so, as oration with Qatar Charity, on several major ini- analytics and machine learning to operate pre- a tremendous amount of work on competing with the trend has demonstrated a real shift in cus- tiatives, such as Lebanon already shared, Sudan dictive models. That’s a very important point as Uber. tomer behaviour, and our determination to con- and lately Palestine. We have strong ties with we are first and foremost a tech company, we In our business it is not a matter of being first tinue offering our stakeholder the ultimate major other charities as well such as Education have the biggest tech team in the region, working or leader, which we clearly are, in the market service. Above All, Qatar Cancer Society and other NGOs. to improve our services. today. It’s about being faster, agile, young and We are also very happy to partner with local We are planning to expand further and are fast-moving; we make sure that we’re always Do you expect the growth in the delivery suppliers and launch our first “+974 Made in hiring for specific roles, to better serve our ahead of the curve and are constantly improving. business to sustain in the future as markets open up? Overall, consumers across all fronts have shown a progressive appetite on food and grocery talabat expects to push delivery. As the economy begins to open up again, the convenience of delivery is still expected to play a huge role for businesses and consumers. Made in Qatar products This is why we continue to perfect the customer journey, and deliver to our customers whether they would be at home, the office or elsewhere. across the Our focus as a company is towards speed, affordability and reliability: we believe these three components are important to address now and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 in the future, especially since our economy con- tinues to grow. talabat mart, has seen a growth this year and has become a leading player in groceries’ deliveries, thanks to its unique model which allows How many outlets are registered with your delivery in less than 30 minutes. This answers the urgent needs for cus- platform regionally? tomers to get their essentials delivered at the fastest time possible. talabat Today we have around 57,000 partners across also provides a diversified choice to customers by partnering with major the region and our teams keep onboarding new hypermarkets in Qatar such as Monoprix and Spar, offering a wide range partners who are interested in our service, of fresh food and groceries. logistics and digital infrastructure. In addition, as the leading partner across the F&B industry looking across the Middle East, after successfully exporting the very first batch to provide support to restaurants in Qatar, talabat has developed a new of Qatar-made brands to Kuwait. Today, 20% of the products sold in What are the steps you took to protect your program called tDine: encouraging customers to dine in restaurants and talabat Mart in Kuwait are Made in Qatar products. riders and the customers during the get rewarded from doing so through great savings. In this way, talabat Since the early stages of COVID-19, talabat has been collaborating pandemic? looks to offer a comprehensive solution to its partners - encouraging with governmental entities in Qatar. The Government of Qatar, under Safety is our number one priority. We’ve con- both deliveries and dine-ins. the patronage of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has sistently been the first in the region to introduce talabat’s agility during the recent period has helped it adapt quickly done tremendous work to protect those across the State, and talabat’s enhanced safety solutions for our riders, such as to new trends. This level of nimbleness allows talabat to make things commitment since was to focus all efforts to strike a healthy balance in gloves, masks, sanitiser as well as contactless happen and allows the entire ecosystem to grow - aiming for a better supporting the local communities and ecosystem, being there for our delivery. future. Qatar-based customers throughout the unknown and prioritizing safety We also continue to place a keen emphasis In the near future, talabat expects to push Made in Qatar products throughout each step of the way. on developing new practices. We’ve enabled a

10 most downloaded apps worldwide in 2020

ast year saw many big changes in the way we live, work, eat, shop and consume content. Most of our lives has been shifted inside our homes and the mobile phones, tablets and laptops became the essential tool work and leisure. LThese unprecedented changes were also reflected in the apps we downloaded and the content we consumed. When delivery apps and streaming apps saw huge growth but it was TikTok which won the race to top in a worldwide ranking pub- lished by mobile intelligence firm Apptopia. With everyone shifting to remote meetings and online classrooms it is not a surprise that the newcomers in the top ten list were Zoom and Google Meet. Four Facebook owned apps also made it to the list. In 2020 TikTok was downloaded a staggering 850 million times. The data includes both iPhone and Android apps downloaded on the App Store and Google Play. It excludes data from Chinese third-party Android app stores. Most of top apps are used for communicating with each other proves that last year we were all using technology to keep in touch, get work done and check on our near and dear ones. Apptopia says that the Among Us! was the most-downloaded game globally with 264 million installs globally. Subway Surfers, originally released in May 2012, is still on the list with 227 million global installs. Other big games for downloads are Garena Free Fire, PUBG, Roblox, and Gardenscapes.

MUST HAVE APPS VIII WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE 2021 Some essential apps you need in Qatar... Ehteraz Nar'aakom

n the last year or so this app as become the must have app on he Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC)’s everyones phone. From entry into supermarkets to travel, Ehteraz "Nar'aakom" mobile application is available in both mobile application is playing an important role in keeping Qatar's and English and facilitates comprehensive population safe. healthcare management for users, from applying ILaunched at the end of April in 2020, Ehteraz is a highly advanced Tfor a health card online to accessing upcoming application that has been developed to help keep residents of Qatar appointments. safe from COVID-19 and support the hard work of the frontline public A user can apply for health card, add dependent, request health teams in the fight against COVID-19. appointments, change family physician, change health Ehteraz is the official contact tracing application for the State of center and renew health card. Qatar and is owned, operated, and approved by the Ministry of Public To log in, users need to input The National Authenti- Health. cation System (Tawtheeq) account using their Qatar ID and Ehteraz shows a person's health card number, date of last COVID-19 password. test and its corresponding result. For recovered people it shows the You can also register for Covid-19 vaccine appointment recovery date, the date infected and the number of days after the through the app. infection. The health status of the person is reflected through the QR code on the health status page of the application. The QR code will be sur- rounded by a golden frame if fully vaccinated. The app also show details of vaccination related details like the date and name of vaccine.

OUN he mobile app OUN of the Ministry of Munici- Tpality and Envi- ronment (MME) offers about 100 services. The app which is available on iOS and Android pro- vides a higher degree of security by verifying the identity of the client when executing any transaction through users carried out multiple transactions, especially in families sending one-time- Metrash2 where parents process documents for their children. Companies password (OTP) to also carried out several operations for their workers and mobile phone he “Metrash2” service enables citizens and residents to employees. number registered obtain a wide range of Ministry of Interior (MoI) services The Ministry of Interior spares no effort to make the users’ under personal number of the user. while enjoying the convenience of using their cell experience with Metrash2 unique for all, including citizens, res- The app features a follow-up option which allows tracing phones. It guarantees safe and encrypted services and idents and companies, governmental and non-governmental of applications or licensing process or those related to own- Tsupports most smart devices, which contributes to reaching the organisations. ership such as the follow-ups of building permit, requests for largest possible segment of users. land allocation among many more. The Metrash2 app offers more than 220 active services This Application helps citizens and residents in Qatar to available in 6 languages, including Arabic, English, French, access Ministry of Municipality and Environment Services Malayalam, Urdu, and Spanish. online. Among the services which are available on Metrash 2 are Services include request pest control, request tree visa, residence, community police, , traffic Services, visit Visa trimming service, request sewage cleaning service, car Services for Personal and Corporate Sponsorships, resident removal services and workers' housing complaints among Permit (RP) Services, exit Permit (EP) Service, electronic Gate many more. (e-Gate) Service and General-purpose Queries, payment receipts The app also allows users to take a shot from phone for all services done through Metrash2 among others. It also camera and send it to the municipality with comments (could offers many Residence Permit services including replacing lost be a report about a road problem and a car that is parked for or damaged ID cards without visiting security departments or long time.) services centres. The users can available other services like making queries Seven million transactions have been completed in 2020 from engineers committee, apply for building permit request, through the Ministry of Interior (MoI)'s e-service app Metrash2. building completion certificate, personal violations, benefit Around 2 million citizens and residents used the app. Some certificate, case query, cheque query and deposit query.

Visit Qatar

atar National Tourism Council (QNTC) launched its immersive Visit QQatar mobile app in April 2021. The user-centric digital travel companion allows users to discover Qatar's cultural heritage sites, extensive outdoor sports activities, diverse culinary scenes, and unique attractions. The app offers 360 degree and pano- ramic views of iconic sites and landmarks, along with a feature that allows users to swipe right on a selection of top locations. They can use the map assistant to plot and plan their stay and enjoy personalised rec- ommendations based on their preferences. From the palm of your hand, the new Visit Qatar app allows you to discover a myriad of Qatar's attractions from cultural heritage sites to modern art museums, World Cup 2022 stadiums to world-class malls, pristine beaches to wild nature reserves, a host of diverse eateries and some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. The Visit Qatar app is currently available for free via the App Store for iOS mobiles and via Google Play for Android handsets. MUST HAVE APPS WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE 2021 IX Alfardan Exchange’s innovative app makes sending money across the world easier than ever

lfardan Exchange is Alfardan Exchange has Qatar’s leading exchange become the number one exchange house and first ever house in Qatar by providing exchange house in Qatar unconventional transaction Ryde: Putting Ato launch online transactions channels and innovative offerings through an exclusive partnership in partnerships with leading with western union to operate financial organizations like their mobile App allowing money Western Union, MasterCard, Com- community first transfers to be as easy and fast as mercial Bank…etc.” The app is sending a text. secured with multi-factor authentication that Convenience, in today’s chaos, is what eve- includes fingerprint biometric for added security. ryone is looking for. Quick and simple online The Alfardan Exchange app was launched yde is a Qatar-based option for efficient smooth rides. money transfers are not just extremely valid in at the beginning of COVID 19 and is available transportation app Then there’s RydeBIG, which today’s world; they are needed more than ever! as a free download from the Google Play Store created to address provides either a roomy The Alfardan Exchange Remittance App is a safe and Apple App Store. This amazing app, now some of the common standard or SUV for when and convenient solution for sending remittances available in 10 languages, allows any registered Rproblems passengers and friends or families are on the go. anywhere within minutes. Remittances are customer to send money to anywhere worldwide drivers face here in Doha. You can also schedule to be becoming increasingly essential to the economies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Transfers Launched in the summer of picked up in any of these options of many countries. Since the pandemic, global can be received as credit to account or cash 2020 at a time where words directly from the app. You’ll remittances have been on the rise showing a pickup and users can easily add or edit benefi- like ‘quarantine’ and often find discounts and promo- global total of around US$702 billion in 2020 ciaries and save those details to their profile. ‘lockdown’ were inescapable, tions popping up on Ryde that according to World Bank data. A large percentage The Alfardan Exchange Remittance App as well Ryde felt that high fares for riders and low allow riders to save without compromising the of remittances are received by developing coun- provides access to online rates and fees in payouts of drivers from the currently available drivers’ wallets. tries such as the Philippines, , Pakistan, addition to tracking the status of users’ trans- transportation apps were unacceptable at such Putting community first, Ryde also provides India, China and Mexico. These are the countries actions anytime. Best of all, the app provides a time of uncertainty. The company adopted the businesses and organizations with tailored trans- with lower income families relying on remit- real-time updates on transfers, enabling users term “Fareness” to mean fair fares for those in portations solutions through RydeBusiness. A leg tances from family or loved ones abroad. For to track the status and completion of the remit- the back seat and fair wage for those behind the of the startup that provides more cost-effective some countries as a whole, the received remit- tance transfer 24 hours a day. The App is easy wheel. The company believes in building a com- ways for companies and their employees to tances can make up a third of the country’s GDP. to install allowing users to register and send munity that puts people first. commute. This is why it is essential that these money money to their loved ones within minutes. Cus- The Ryde app itself boasts an easy-to-use All in all, Ryde is still new in the market posi- transfers are easy and accessible to those sending tomers can send up to QR 50,000 per week, interface providing three types of Ryde expe- tioning itself to be the go-to app for everyone in money to loved ones, and to those loved ones making it one of the few Apps that offers riences: RydeEco, a budget-friendly option Doha who needs to get around and save whilst who rely on that aid. maximum amount that can be sent. when you’re not in a hurry. Ryde, a standard doing so. MUST HAVE APPS X WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE 2021

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In April this year, QIIB launched a new qual- itative update to the bank's mobile banking and Apps: Helping us connect and entertain internet banking applications, which will provide value addition to a wide range of banking services already available to customers through the bank’s 24x7 digital channels. In particular, the new update allows cus- tomers to apply and obtain immediate personal finance without the need to visit the bank. Customers can also update their information through QIIB mobile banking and internet banking applications, thus avoiding any unnec- essary visit to the bank’s branches and any partial or complete interruption of the banking services as a result of the customer's delay in updating his / her information. In order to facilitate customers' participation in initial public offerings announced from time to time, the new mobile banking and internet banking update from QIIB allows submission of applications to participate in IPOs via mobile banking and internet banking with ease. “Our commitment as a group is to ensure we adapt and deliver the best possible service to our customers, in these challenging times we would like to ensure that safety is our priority. We are assuring our customers the best products with the best service from the comfort of their home. Our apps have unique offerings like Click & Collect, Delivery within 48 hours, easy and flexible return and exchange which makes us the most preferred e-commerce shopping platform” Shu- malan Naicker, Territory Head, Landmark Group Qatar, told The Peninsula. Along with having the element of conven- ience, these apps also played a crucial role in keeping society safe during the spread of coro- navirus. Social distancing became a commonly used phrase in the last two years as the gov- ernment and its agencies upped the ante in the fight against COVID-19. pandemic, online ordering has become key part The outbreak of COVID-19 has accelerated of the new habit, for the reasons that it is con- the use of apps among customers. The apps were venient, easy and safer way to have a meal at In 2020, approximately 3.5 billion people worldwide owned present even before the onset of coronavirus pan- home,” Vyanktesh Jaiswal, General Manager, a smartphone. Mobile apps currently present the most demic, but people were reluctant to use the tech- Nando’s Qatar from ORYX Group for Food nology. They were hesitant to embrace new tech- Services, told The Peninsula. efficient, direct, and customizable way to deliver nology. During the lockdowns people had no “We have kept the convenience and safety of choice but to work from home. The work from our customers as our priority. Hence we created information about a product and encourage clients to home period encouraged customers to perform a user-friendly, colorful app that is seamless to several tasks from their computers and mobiles. navigate through. It cuts through the hassle of remain loyal to a particular brand. Customers who were earlier going to bank calling and makes ordering from Nando's branches to conduct their financial transactions, effortless. Understanding this new need of our started doing it on apps. Similarly, people started customers, we have also made changes in menu tuzzut Online Shopping said tuzzut app is in the growth rate (CAGR) of almost 21 percent during using apps to order food from restaurants, remit to make suitable for sharing at home. Adopting forefront of online shopping platforms in Qatar. the forecast period, according to Technavio- a money, order goods online from retailers, paying the rapid change in the e-commerce and digital “Our app was launched in March 2018, and leading global technology research and advisory bills online and sending e-gifts. space early on has certainly helped us reach more has pioneered itself as a firebrand in affiliate company. “Nando’s Qatar launched its own online and new people,” added Jaiswal. program. The platform provides seller registration With the growing number of people accessing ordering app last year in May 2020. As there has Speaking to The Peninsula about tuzzut app, kiosk for sellers anywhere in Qatar broadening the Internet via smartphones and tablets, mobile been a shift in buying behaviour following the Afsal Mohamed Co-founder and General Manager the product base. Home made products and per- app development has the unique ability to access sonalised arts are in pipeline. To add an edge, a large number of potential consumers. Even customers enjoy loyalty rewards for all purchases though mobile phones’ core function is being tel- done from this site,” he said. ecommunication but now mobile apps made Apart from companies many public sector many things possible which was previously unim- institutions have also launched user friendly apps. aginable. Today mobile apps render a good Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) launched platform for business, banking, education, reading its immersive Visit Qatar mobile app in April 2021. etc. Customers can get their goods and services The user-centric digital travel companion at doorstep at reasonable rates without the bar- allows users to discover Qatar's cultural heritage riers of distance and time. sites, extensive outdoor sports activities, diverse Apps have also helped us connect with each culinary scenes, and unique attractions. other and conduct business through communi- The app offers 360 degree and panoramic cation apps like WhatApp, Telegram, Signal and views of iconic sites and landmarks, along with a video conferencing apps like Zoom and Google feature that allows users to swipe right on a Meet. selection of top locations. They can use the map Streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, assistant to plot and plan their stay and enjoy per- Disney and YouTube have become part of our sonalised recommendations based on their pref- everyday life and have seen huge growth last year erences. From the palm of your hand, the new as people were consuming content only through Visit Qatar app allows you to discover a myriad these apps. Globally the most downloaded app of Qatar's attractions from cultural heritage sites in 2020 was surprisingly TikTok. to modern art museums, World Cup 2022 sta- YouTube and TikTok saw many new content diums to world-class malls, pristine beaches to creators globally and also in Qatar, who were wild nature reserves, a host of diverse eateries producing videos within their home or from the and some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. neighbourhood. One particular segment , which “The digital market in Qatar is probably the really blossomed, is food related videos, espe- only positive of the Covid-19 virus. It forced busi- cially cooking videos. nesses to get creative and figure out how to reach In 2020, approximately 3.5 billion people their customers digitally. I think it's interesting worldwide own a smartphone. Mobile apps cur- seeing all these apps pop up and watching their rently present the most efficient, direct, and cus- journeys,” Alim Salahud-din, Brand Manager, tomizable way to deliver information about a Ryde in Qatar told The Peninsula. “I think the ride product and encourage clients to remain loyal to app market has its market leaders - with respects a particular brand. to Uber - as well as the everyday copycats that A mobile application of late has become nec- don't fully understand the business. However as essary for every business be it a startup, enter- long as people get where they need to go then prise, or an established market player. there's nothing wrong with healthy competition,” Earlier businesses used to face difficulty when he said. it comes to reaching the target audience on dif- In the past few years mobile app development ferent platforms at the same. Thanks to a mobile has become a booming industry. The mobile apps application that makes it possible. Mobile apps market is poised to grow by $653.91bn during can provide great exposure on multiple platforms 2021-2025, progressing at a Compound annual at the same time.