Startup of the Week: KSA and Stuff

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KSA and Stuff is a startup in Jeddah that aims to draw the attention of locals and tourists towards the beautiful landmarks of the city, and introduce its rich culture and heritage in a new light through their contemporary souvenirs.
The startup was founded by Reema Salama and Ayah Samir, and in addition to their products, they are also aiming to spread knowledge about the art and architecture of Saudi Arabia.
“It was a childhood dream, walking along the streets of all cities we have been to and seeing all those souvenir shops, which proudly celebrated all landmarks and culture even if they were simple,” Samir told Arab News.
She added: “Ever since, I was imagining our valuable Saudi landmarks and rich culture spreading and being shared with the world.”
With the beginning of the Kingdom’s move to promote more tourism, the two started to work to turn their dream into a business.
The pair are also architects who believe in the beauty and value of the art and architecture of the Kingdom. The vibrance and high quality of their products have been the selling points of the business, according to their costumers. “People thought that the colors were unique, which attracted them to our products but in reality, each color is inspired by the landmarks and nature.”
Salama took Arab News through the process of making each product, starting with the research and analysis and the story behind each item.
Like every other startup, KSA and Stuff has also faced many challenges, Samir said, adding that it was a relatively new concept, so there were not many examples that they could learn from.
Coming from an architecture background without much knowledge in the business world, she said it was not easy to engage the market. “Another thing that made our job difficult is the lack of documented information about our art and architecture history, so it was a challenge to study the landmarks and characteristics,” Samir explained.
They said that this was just the beginning, however, and that they were aiming to create a full experience for people visiting Saudi Arabia “to spread small, memorable sparkles of each city in Saudi Arabia around the world.”