Leila Al-Habbal, Founder and Managing Director of Lokal: Nurturing the Fashion Ecosystem in the MENA Region
Giving the thriving fashion ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region a helping hand is Leila Al-Habbal, Founder and Managing Director of the Saudi-based e-commerce marketplace Lokal.
The online marketplace aims to fill the gap in the market for quality ‘made in MENA’ fashion by providing Arab designers with a platform to sell their creations. A one-stop-shop for Arab brands only, Lokal is a decentralized platform that not only showcases and sells independent Arab designers’ creations, but also tells their stories to consumers.
Al-Habbal’s journey began 15 years ago, when she started to notice how beautiful and well crafted the brands coming out of the Arab world were and questioned why people shopped abroad instead. A decade ago, she started The Lokal Pop Up Shops to spotlight noteworthy brands, and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Lokal went digital.
Al-Habbal said that creating a decentralized website from the ground up was one of her significant challenges and took two years. Now, Lokal is a thriving digital marketplace helping up-and-coming Arab designers reach a global audience.
The platform allows designers to showcase and sell their products, and Lokal also actively markets for them and drives traffic to the website. Al-Habbal also stresses the importance of paying attention to consumer behavior and adapting strategies based on data.
To keep improving the e-commerce journey, Lokal continually enhances its digital space, integrates with multiple shipping couriers and ensures competitive pricing. Lokal wants to provide the logistics and infrastructure for a seamless transactional environment that designers can rely on while they focus on their creative expertise.
Arab brands can stay independent through Lokal and share both their products and their stories directly with consumers. Shoppers can find unique, “local” designs that often have special meaning because of the limited quantity produced.
Supporting the region’s fashion ecosystem is a vital mission for Al-Habbal, who envisions cultivating a retail revolution and celebrating the beauty and diversity of the Middle East and North Africa’s aesthetic production. She aligns Lokal with Vision 2030 and aspires to collaborate with The Saudi Fashion Association to onboard more talented Saudi designers.
Additionally, sustainability is a core value promoted by Lokal, with many of the brands already adopting eco-friendly approaches. Leila envisions a promising future for Lokal, aiming to be recognized as the go-to fashion hub for MENA brands in the next five years. With a passionate team and a commitment to supporting unique designers, she envisions Lokal as the first choice for those seeking distinctive fashion from the Middle East.
