Sondos Mleitat and Majd Manadre, co-founders of tele-health start-up Hakini, are seeking to ease access to mental health services in Palestine and Mena. Photo: Hakini
Sondos Mleitat and Majd Manadre, co-founders of tele-health start-up Hakini, are seeking to ease access to mental health services in Palestine and Mena. Photo: Hakini
Sondos Mleitat and Majd Manadre, co-founders of tele-health start-up Hakini, are seeking to ease access to mental health services in Palestine and Mena. Photo: Hakini
Sondos Mleitat and Majd Manadre, co-founders of tele-health start-up Hakini, are seeking to ease access to mental health services in Palestine and Mena. Photo: Hakini

Generation Start-up: How Hakini is boosting access to therapy in Palestine and beyond


Deena Kamel
  • English
  • Arabic

As a Palestinian woman living in the West Bank, Sondos Mleitat says she realised the difficulty of finding reliable and affordable mental health services after a long search for suitable and consistent support.

Once she experienced the life-changing benefits of counselling, she began to see the glaring gap in the market for services that are easy to access, culturally sensitive and budget-friendly. So the architectural engineer quit her corporate job and, together with Majd Manadre and Mohannad Amarneh, co-founded tele-health start-up Hakini.

The Ramallah start-up is seeking to provide mental health services online in Arabic to users in Palestine and the wider Middle East as people deal with the devastating impact of Covid-19, the realities of living under occupation and the social stigma of accessing counseling – particularly for women.

Hakini, which means "tell me" or "talk to me" in Arabic, remotely connects users to therapists based on their needs and offers guidance for self-help intervention.

"We started to realise the pain with finding mental health services in Palestine and the Mena region, the [current] solutions are inefficient in the short-term and expensive in the long-term," Ms Mleitat says. "Many people are not getting the mental health support they need, so we see a huge opportunity for Hakini to provide a solution."

The Covid-19 pandemic has cast a spotlight on mental health tech start-ups globally, with 2020 marking a record year for venture capital investment in the sector, according to data firm PitchBook. Its data showed 146 deals raked in nearly $1.6 billion in venture capital investments as of December 2020. In 2019, the total was $893 million from 111 deals. A decade ago there were only three deals, worth $6.6m.

Investments are pouring in as demand for mental health services increased during the pandemic when disruptions to daily life and work, coupled with lockdown measures, triggered and accentuated mental health issues. Social distancing rules and health concerns pushed that demand online, making tele-health essential for care providers.

Hakini, which began operations in March 2020, recorded increasing demand for online therapy services during the global health crisis.

"It was our time during Covid-19. The number of people suffering from anxiety and depression increased and they started to seek solutions online due to the lockdowns," Ms Mleitat says. "We see more interest from governments and the private sector in mental health."

The pandemic revealed weaknesses in healthcare systems around the world that prompted governments to increase investment in mental health services, a typically under-funded segment, and companies to invest more in employees' well-being.

"After Covid-19 our business was impacted positively: the stigma around mental health has reduced and people are more comfortable using technology," she says.

The difficulty of finding mental health services is further amplified in parts of Palestine, where many people are living in worsening economic conditions and ongoing political crises, according to Hakini.

"In the West Bank where we started, less than 10 per cent of people seeking mental health services were able to find it," Ms Mleitat says, citing data from the Ministry of Health in Palestine and Hakini's own calculations. "There's a huge need and people are not satisfied with the current solution."

Following the recent air strikes on the Gaza Strip in May, Hakini received an influx of inquiries from people seeking counselling. The platform provided 6,000 minutes of therapy for people in the blockaded strip based on a sponsorship model, where people can pay on behalf of those who cannot afford sessions. For Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007, the pandemic made life worse for people whose mobility was already restricted, a UN report shows.

"We need mental health solutions that are adapted to the Arab culture and experience, because not just any western concept is immediately applicable to the Arab region," Ms Mleitat says.

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The social stigma around seeking mental health support and the attitudes towards mental illness have meant that women in particular get inadequate access to the required help.

Hakini says about 75 per cent of its clients are women seeking online therapy as they face more acute stigma than men for in-person counselling.

"Some are not allowed by their brother or husband or family," Ms Mleitat says.

Sondos Mleitat and Majd Manadre, co-founders of tele-health start-up Hakini, in their office in Palestine. Courtesy Hakini
Sondos Mleitat and Majd Manadre, co-founders of tele-health start-up Hakini, in their office in Palestine. Courtesy Hakini

Hakini serves clients mainly in Palestine but also has Arabic-speaking users from the UAE, Jordan, Germany, Netherlands and the US. Ranging in age from 18 to 45 years old, and mostly women, the users are can opt for online therapy individual sessions or packages with an average price of $60 per session. Another option is paying $15 for a monthly subscription of guided self-help tools on a range of topics "to help them be their own therapist."

The content and online sessions are in Arabic, to address the gaps in mental health support in the language and to offer culturally-nuanced insights, Ms Mleitat says.

Hakini has so far provided a total of 40,000 minutes of online therapy in the 12 months from November 1, 2020 to October 30, 2021. It also served 1,000 people with self-help tools and published 300 articles in Arabic on its platform that reached one million readers, it says.

The start-up is eyeing expansion into the Middle East and North Africa region, starting with Saudi Arabia and the Arab world's most populous country Egypt, the co-founder says.

Hakini, which previously raised $35,000 of pre-seed funding from investors in Dubai and Paris, is now seeking another $750,000 in seed investment, Ms Mleitat says.

The start-up will use the funds to invest in technology, build a mobile application, hire more talent and start marketing.

There is a lot of funding coming into conflict zones, but we need to enhance the mindset of investment into start-ups. We are not looking for a donation, we are looking for investment into a business that will expand and grow and build sustainable solutions
Sondos Mleitat,
co-founder of Hakini

Running a start-up in Palestine is not without its challenges, the co-founder says.

"In my experience as a Palestinian entrepreneur, we don't have strong infrastructure for entrepreneurship, there's no independent ecosystem," she says. "I see change coming from entrepreneurs because they can transform the economy."

More investment is also required into start-ups in Palestine, separate from the donations for international aid, to help entrepreneurs solving local problems, she says.

"There is a lot of funding coming into conflict zones, but we need to enhance the mindset of investment into start-ups," she says. "We are not looking for a donation, we are looking for investment into a business that will expand and grow and build sustainable solutions."

Q&A with Hakini co-founder Sondos Mleitat:

1. Which other successful start-up do you wish you had started?

Clubhouse is one of the startups that inspires me and affected my way of thinking about how we can convert our start-up from an idea to a real business with exponential growth. Specifically, I liked their model that focused on growth of the platform in terms of increasing their user base, by providing a user-friendly platform with a freemium model and an innovative approach of communication between people from all over the world.

The way in which Clubhouse founders thought about their business is impressive, where they focused on building trust with their targeted customers and later potentially be able to monetize their services and generate revenues in the future. I think that this approach is important for startup founders that especially work in B2C model.

2. What is your next big dream to make happen?

My dream is to make therapy and mental health services accessible and affordable for every single person in the Mena region. I hope that therapy becomes a way of life and is not affected by social stigma. There are positive indicators that the region is on the right track to make this happen.

3. What new skills have you learnt in the process of launching your start-up?

Running a start-up is not an easy process and you need to really invest in yourself in a way that contributes to your management, communication, and leadership skills and understand how to collaborate with potential partners that could be an important part for the success of your business. I learned that building trust is a key of success. At first this trust should be created with your team, your mentors, advisors, customers and eventually with potential investors.

I also learnt about business modeling, storytelling, pitching, how to apply design thinking processes and use the lean start-up method to understand our customers’ needs.

4. How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your business?

It was the time to launch Hakini and start providing support to help people from Palestine and other countries around the world, as the need for mental health services increased worldwide. Many people were looking for help to overcome the depressive and stressful situation. During Covid19 we started to see big interest from individuals, businesses and governmental institutions in mental health and well=being services. These institutions started to understand the importance of investing in this sector and how it can positively contribute to the educational system, economy, and society.

5. What is the importance of mental health services during the pandemic?

The Covid-19 pandemic negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already facing mental health and substance use issues. There was a huge increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression because of the pandemic. For example, in the US about four in 10 adults have reported these symptoms, up about 400 per cent from 2019. This indicates the importance of taking mental health more seriously by governments, schools, universities, businesses and other stakeholders.

6. Where do you see your business in the next five years?

I see Hakini the leading therapy platform in the Mena region. Today, we provide our services to people from Palestine, Jordan, Holland, Germany, UAE, and the US. In five years, we want to see Hakini operate in other countries in Mena, starting with Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Company Profile:

Company: Hakini, Inc

Founders: Sondos Mleitat, Majd Manadre, Mohannad Amarneh

Founding date: October, 2019 and commenced its operations in March, 2020

Based: Delaware, US and Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: mental health, well-being and telehealth

Size (employees and revenue): 11 employees

Investment stage: Seed funding required

Investors: angel investors, accelerators, grants

MWTC

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Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Rally schedule:

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The line up

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Who is Ramon Tribulietx?

Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role. 

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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

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Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

GIANT REVIEW

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Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

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From: Upper Egypt

Age: 78

Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila

Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace

Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace

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7pm: HH The President’s Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
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England Test squad

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.

Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray 

Bio

Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro

Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR

US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.

KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.

 

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The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

MATCH INFO

Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)

Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no

Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)

Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22

Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

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Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Medicus AI

Started: 2016

Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh

Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai

Sector: Health Tech

Staff: 119

Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)

 

THE DETAILS

Kaala

Dir: Pa. Ranjith

Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar  

Rating: 1.5/5 

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

How to increase your savings
  • Have a plan for your savings.
  • Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
  • Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
  • It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings. 

- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

 

 

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The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Updated: April 23, 2025, 12:25 PM