AI Automation for MENA SMBs — Arabic-first, shipped in 2 weeks.
Most automation advice is written for a US SaaS operator with five subscriptions and a clean CRM. MENA SMBs live on WhatsApp, work in Arabic, and have half the tools. We build for that reality — not the LinkedIn version of it.
The problem
Open an "AI for small business" guide: Step one — connect Stripe. Step two — connect HubSpot. Step three — webhook your inventory. Most Egyptian, Saudi, or Gulf SMBs don't have any of those. They have a WhatsApp, a book of customers, and a guy named Ahmed who does the books on Thursdays.
That's not a worse business. It's a different operating reality. AI that respects the reality beats AI that demands the operator change everything first.
What we automate
- Inbound WhatsApp triage + auto-reply in Arabic and English.
- Order/receipt capture from photos, PDFs, or messy forwarded threads.
- Daily cash-close or inventory summary via Telegram (RetailOS pattern).
- Appointment booking + reminders for clinics and salons.
- Cross-border email outreach (DKIM-authenticated, multilingual).
- Arabic↔English bilingual workflows — no Google-Translate hacks.
Live MENA examples
Bakery owner checks his daily numbers on Telegram — no dashboard, no login, no English.
Single-tenant system, Arabic UI, Telegram handoff. Shipped by a single engineer in a weekend with Claude Code.
Egypt→US/EU/Gulf outreach agents with DKIM-authenticated send. 21 opportunities live.
FAQ
Is this Arabic-first or just translated?
Arabic-first. UI copy, prompts, and field validators all respect Arabic conventions (RTL, Arabic digits where appropriate, colloquial vs MSA). We've shipped this in RetailOS and in MedPrüf's KMP flows.
Do you integrate with WhatsApp Cloud API?
Yes. We've set up DKIM/SPF/DMARC for Bridge Sourcing and WhatsApp flows in RetailOS. Most MENA SMB workflows start on WhatsApp and we build around that reality rather than pretending email is the main channel.
Are you local or remote?
Egypt-based, same timezone as Riyadh/Cairo, 1h from CET. We prefer remote-first but can come on-site for a scoped week when a salon or clinic needs hands-on walk-through.
What does an engagement usually look like in MENA?
Two weeks. Week 1: map the actual workflow on the actual phone the operator uses. Week 2: ship the automation, Arabic UI, and a 10-minute Telegram/WhatsApp training for the owner. Fixed-fee $500–$2,000.
Want us to automate one workflow first?
2-week fixed-fee sprint. We pick the workflow with the highest hours-per-week cost and ship that one end-to-end.