When I first came across the story of Ureed.com, I thought: here’s another freelance platform, right? But as I dug deeper, I realised this one tells a different kind of story, an idea born in the Middle East, tailored for the region, scaling fast in the gig-economy wave sweeping MENA. It’s the journey from marketplace to something much larger.

The idea takes flight

Ureed was founded in 2017 by a team connected to the language-services provider Tarjama and led later by Marwan Abdelaziz (CEO), Rakan Al Hassan (COO) and Iyad Ahmad (CTO). According to Wamda, Ureed “founded in 2017 … partnered with Wamda Seed in 2020”.

At its start, the platform focused on editorial, translation and multilingual content services—fields with high demand in the region. According to Zawya, the platform launched as “the region’s first editorial marketplace … focusing on Arabic, English and French”. 

In short: Ureed began with a clear regional focus—matching freelancers and businesses in MENA specifically, rather than simply copying global models.

Building supply, matching demand

To gain traction, Ureed had to scale the number of freelancers and service categories. According toUreed’s own “About” page, the platform had “70,000+ freelancers & service providers registered” and “12,000+ freelancers & service providers completed projects” in a recent year. 

Also, according to an Arab Newswire press release, Ureed “celebrates over 54,000 freelance talents … becoming the largest freelance marketplace in the GCC region” as of December 2020. 

And from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) study: Ureed was operating with a database of more than 82,000 freelancers across the Middle East, India and Pakistan. 

These numbers show two things: (i) the platform built a substantial talent pool, and (ii) it marketed itself as a leader in the region’s freelance economy.

Funding, acquisition and strategic moves

Growth isn’t just about numbers—it’s about strategy. Ureed raised a seven-figure USD seed round (exact number not publicly disclosed) led by Wamda Capital and Anova Investments, as reported by MENAbytes. 

In the same move, the company acquired rival marketplace Nabbesh (founded in 2012) to integrate freelancers and contracts and expand verticals.

This acquisition helped Ureed accelerate its expansion across new markets and service categories—moving beyond just translation to broader freelance services.

Regional fit + market timing

Ureed’s success also comes down to market context rather than just the platform alone. According to the IFC study, freelancing platforms focused on MENA are more numerous than commonly thought; Ureed is cited as a regional example. 

Moreover, as the digital economy in the region grew (and especially during COVID-19), demand for remote freelance work increased. According to Arab Newswire, Ureed expanded from ~20,000 freelancers in early 2020 to over 54,000 later that year, covering almost 150 verticals. 

In other words, Ureed timed its growth to match a significant shift in how work is done across the MENA region.

Why it matters: value, impact and positioning

What Ureed offers is both practical and strategic. For businesses, it provides access to vetted freelancers across multiple professional fields at regional cost and time-zones. For freelancers, particularly in MENA, it opens opportunities that previously may have required overseas platforms.

According to Ureed’s site, its network spans 50+ active cities and the platform offers features like project monitoring, global payment and talent matching.

Additionally, Ureed emphasises diversity: its “Inclusion” page states that its network exceeds 100,000 professionals across 207 countries, and 55% of its freelance workforce are women. 

So, Ureed is not just a marketplace — it’s part of the freelance economy infrastructure in the region, enabling talent mobility, remote work and skill monetisation.

Lessons for founders and freelancers

From Ureed’s journey we can draw several key take-aways:

• Solve a regional problem with regional fit: Ureed built for Arabic/English multilingual needs, MENA time-zones, freelancers who understand the region.
  
• Scale talent and categories: The jump from translation to full freelance services, the acquisition of an earlier marketplace, and broad verticals all helped.
  
• Be ready for timing shifts: The COVID-19 shift and digital economy trend helped accelerate growth.
  
• Combine local insight + global standards: The platform competes with global marketplaces but with regional understanding.
  
• Back it with strategy: The seed round, acquisition and clear growth plan show seriousness.
  Whether you’re a freelancer or you’re building a platform, Ureed’s story tells you that region + timing + scale matter.

Final word

From its 2017 start to becoming a major platform for MENA’s freelancers, Ureed demonstrates how a home-grown marketplace can lead rather than follow. While I haven’t found public documentation confirming unicorn (US$1 billion+) status for Ureed, the platform’s numbers, strategy and regional leadership claims are real and impressive.

If you’re a freelancer, business or startup watching the region, Ureed’s evolution offers both hope and a blueprint: build for your market, scale your talent, and match demand when the moment is right.

Also Read: The Story of Dubai’s Silicon Oasis