Sukooni: a local approach to mental healthcare

Sukooni: a local approach to mental healthcare

Mental health has long been considered taboo in the culture of the Middle East, and so has seeking help. With the rise in telehealth solutions and the growing adoption of virtual healthcare delivery models, the demand for mental health tools and services has drastically spiked on the consumer and business fronts. As customers continue to comfort themselves around third-party platforms, a subset of startups emerged across the Middle East and North Africa region (Mena) looking to capitalise on the ever-growing need for safe, tech-enabled mental health solutions.

One such startup building a psychotherapy platform is Sukooni, founded earlier this year by Ali Owainati. The grassroots platform is aimed at battling stigmas around mental health and expanding access to relevant resources.

In the early stages of founding his startup, Owainati was inspired by the experience of his friends who struggled to seek help in the UAE at the heart of the pandemic. Instead, they sought out therapists from elsewhere. From there, Owainati was able to spot an unmet need for culturally sensitive care.

“Coming out of Covid-19, attitudes are now starting to change. The awareness of mental health challenges is growing. A few of my friends reached out to therapists from Europe and North