Mehdi Oudghiri & Anass Boumediene_ Driving GCC's Affordable and Accessible Tech-Enabled Eyewear Retail at eyewa

1. Mehdi Oudghiri & Anass Boumediene: Driving GCC's Affordable and Accessible Tech-Enabled Eyewear Retail at eyewa Entrepreneur Gulf. Mehdi Oudghiri and Anass Boumediene, Co-Founders, eyewa. In today’s fast-paced society and retail industry, offering accessible high-quality eye care services and affordable eyeglassesis just the tip of the iceberg. A retail company’s true game-changing solution is to integrate omnichannel solutions that can help improve and enhance a seamless shopping experience, operational efficiency, sales, and customer engagement and loyalty, gain competitive leverage, and establish a dynamically adaptable marketplace. Since retailers and retail brands embrace and effectively implement omnichannel strategies to meet the evolving demands of consumers in a dynamic marketplace, they get better positioned and succeed competitively. Like Dubai’s retail company - eyewa, which provides tech-enabled and accessible eye care services and eyewear products at affordable rates through accessible channels for all. Founded in 2017 by Mehdi Oudghiri and Anass Boumediene, eyewa leverages technology- driven processes and innovative strategies to make high-quality eye care and eyewear more affordable and accessible. Their forward-thinking approach is also revolutionizing how customers engage with and buy eyewear products. Therefore, this article shall explore the journey of GCC’s affordable eyewear products at eyewa with its co-founders - Mehdi and Anass, and how today they are known as the „fastest- growing omnichannel eyewear company in the Middle East, UAE.‟ Mehdi Oudghiri and Anass Boumediene - Bridging Market Gaps in Accessible Eye Care and Affordable Eyewear Products: Mehdi Oudghiri and Anass Boumediene are the founding partners of eyewa. After its establishment in Dubai, UAE in 2017, Mehdi and Anass started the company with a crystal clear mission to “become the best eyewear store in the region by making quality eye care and eyewear more affordable and accessible to all”, eyewa has been successfully positioned in the competitive market, ranking first and becoming the „fastest-growing omnichannel eyewear company in the Middle East, UAE.‟ Mehdi, an innovative disruptor of the retail industry and a passionate entrepreneur alongside Anass worked in a US-based consultancy industry most of their career. After the founding and sale of Foodpanda in the Gulf, the founders expanded their horizons for a new business venture. Then along came the idea and inspiration for providing the best solutions in eye care and eyewear products, making them easily accessible and affordable. Therefore, with tech- enabled and high-quality products, eyewa was founded and established as an e-commerce platform, which later expanded to brick-and-mortar stores across The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman.

2. Mehdi, the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at eyewa, has a Bachelor’s in Management from Tongji University and Business Administration from the ESSEC Business School. The CEO has also received a Master’s in Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mehdi’s career includes working in various companies and under different roles, like - Product Manager and Assistant Asia Purchasing manager at Valeo Service, Consultant at Bain & Company, Managing Director at Foodpanda in the Middle East, and an Advisor at Delivery Hero. The CEO was also a Mentor at Wamda Capital, a Mentor at 212 Founders, and an Entrepreneur at Endeavour. Anass, the Co-founder and co-CEO at eyewa, has a Bachelor’s in Commerce and Finance from Concordia University, was an exchange student at the Singapore Management University, studied to become a Chartered Financial Analyst at CFA University, and received his Master’s in Management, Finance, and Economics from the ESCP Business School. Anass’ career profile includes being an Investment Analyst at Deutsche Bank and ACG Private Equity, a Consultant at Bain & Company, a Co-Managing Director at Foodpanda in the Middle East, a Co-Advisor at Delivery Hero, and a Digital Advisory Board Member at Alyasra Fashion. Together with Mehdi, Anass co-leads eyewa today. eyewa - The Fastest-Growing Omnichannel Eyewear Retailer in the Middle East: eyewa in the GCC has successfully positioned itself today in the market by competitively leveraging its tech-enabled and accessible eye care services alongside its affordably priced eyewear products. Custom-designed, fit, and curated for each customer to fully express themselves with authenticity and confidence, a true and complete shopping experience is also offered. With eyewa’s online platform and their 80+ online stores across various countries in the Middle East, unrivaled high-quality eyewear designs and services are provided for all. From Sunglasses, Reading Glasses, Computer Glasses, and Blue-Light Glasses to Corrective Contact Lenses, Color Contact Lenses, and Accessories, eyewa offers its customers a range of custom designs, choice colors, and desired shapes, for both adults and children. With a broad range of designer eyewear brands spanning 30Sundays, Blackout, Everva, Acuvue, Le specs, ROAV, Polaroid, TOPFOXX, MVMT, and Babamio, eyewa helps customers choose the right fit, elevating confidence and self-expression. With regular deals, sales, and offers organized by eyewa, the latest collections are continuously being re-stocked so that customers may always have access to their desired pick of the lot. eyewa has a fast delivery service that packs, ships, and delivers your product to your doorstep, minimizing and eliminating the need to visit physical stores that could be far to reach. From an easy and seamless use of the online platform, eyewa is the Middle East’s trusted eyewear store selling branded and high-quality products. Currently looking forward to expanding operations to establish more physical stores across the UAE and the KSA, eyewa is today’s disruptive retail store that is working to include the latest international collections like Ray-Ban, Dior, Gucci, and more brands in its physical stores and platform.