The concept behind Harmonica is approach matchmaking consistent with local cultural norms.
Including, describes Saleh, “During the first fit, people don’t discover much,” referring to the initial state of Harmonica’s match-making. In stark comparison to programs like Tinder – which Saleh wants to phone a “meat industry” – feminine people have the option to hide their unique photographs until they’ve approved another individual to view them.
Hramonica in addition differs from other applications, due to its stronger consider monogamy.
Unlike many matchmaking applications, where customers are encouraged to “swipe” through dozens of prospective fits, Harmonica’s users get a couple of fits each day at most, all chosen of the app’s formula considering a compulsory 30-question study, and users can simply select one with who to talk. They’re after that offered a seven-day period wherein they’re able to talking through the app’s chatting solution, before choosing to succeed with the companion more or return to the matching phase. “We call it ‘the quest,’” claims Saleh.
Harmonica does not count on people to be on this trip by yourself. Rather, Saleh have attempted to produce an experience a lot more in line with Egyptian cultural norms. “For The West, there’s men and a female, that’s all,” he says. “In Egypt, it really is entirely on the other end of the range. The Household will be involved from day one.” In an attempt to reproduce this, he’s used a small team of matchmaking counsellors, on label to give guidance to their advanced visitors each step of the ways. The software additionally allows users to nominate a “chaperone” for “girls that simply don’t feeling secure speaking with a man in personal,” clarifies Saleh. “We’re incorporating this particular feature for them to submit their unique talk to at least one of the friends or certainly one of people they know that they choose. It Really Is 
doing them, it is not required or anything, plus it only provides the software a far more conventional area for folks who choose.”
Harmonica isn’t the most important application in order to mobile internet dating to a very traditional group. Beyond Egypt, a handful of programs already offering the same service, for example Matchmallows and Salaam Swipe, based in Canada together with UK respectively. One business person exactly who predates Saleh try Shahzad Younas, a 33-year-old from Manchester whom founded Muzmatch a couple of years ago for young Muslim couples around the world to generally meet. Younas reckons that their app has actually combined right up 7,000 maried people all over the world, like one few in Uganda; unfamiliar to them, these people were the sole two in the country to own signed up to they.
But despite their very best attempts, business owners behind these types of software often find resistance from the many pious perceiver, as Younas provides found through their activities with Muzmatch. “Some individuals constantly state: ‘Oh, it is totally un-Islamic,’” he states, “‘this app is simply too modern; it is haram [forbidden].’ In case you appear in the genuine personal complications, it is that no body is improving the youthfulness pick couples in a permissible way that works best for them. You could disagree it isn’t authorized but after the day greater problem is are brought about whenever young adults see it is difficult in order to get hitched.”
Inside run-up towards launch, Saleh ended up being slightly worried how group would respond in Egypt, in fact, the impulse is overwhelming. “Within weekly of initiating the myspace webpage, we gone viral,” he states, “20,000 consumers downloaded the app in that few days by yourself.” Harmonica’s server, built to meet just 10,000 customers as a whole, damaged beneath the flooding of downloads.
Subsequently, Harmonica has been used over one million hours by its customers, possesses come to be one of the most preferred latest software in the united kingdom. Dedicated consumers actually started sharing Harmonica memes, and Saleh provides showed up on several talk-shows to explain their start-up and sight money for hard times. “Dating apps had been never something right here,” according to him, “so it is all new in their mind. They all need to know just how we’ll change the marriage world in Egypt.” Already he’s obtained messages from no less than two people who’ve got involved after fulfilling on application.
And, definitely, Amira had been one of the first to join up. She’s talked to a couple of other users subsequently, but she’s but in order to satisfy a person she’s actually keen on. “There comprise a few dudes she planning were good prospects,” states Saleh, “but she’s maybe not came across with anyone but.” Eventually in a position to just take situations at her own speed, he says, Amira is actually using the girl opportunity.