Hassan Wehbi, founder of DUDI Sports Technologies, discusses the benefits of a super app for the sports community 

DUDI Sports Technologies may be young - it was founded in Dubai in 2022 - but it’s already making waves in both the sports and tech communities. As the first all-sports social marketplace, its connects sports enthusiasts of all kinds and empowers diverse sports communities via cutting-edge technology. 

Indeed, while many sports tech platforms are available, so far they were all focusing on specific sports verticals; none was all-encompassing, covering a large array of disciplines and offering a variety of services in one place, explains founder Hasan Wehbi. Hence DUDI, a super app with a vision to become the go-to solution for sports communities worldwide. 

“DUDI aims to bridge this gap by integrating community engagement and various sports verticals into its super app. The app features a community page for users to connect and find people with similar interests, a marketplace for sports-related services, a social map to discover activities, and a profile page to showcase sports preferences,” explains Wehbi. “DUDI brings a new era of social sports experiences: indoor, outdoor, air, and sea. We simplified the process for you to connect with people, find people of the same interest, engage with your community, book your favorite sports experiences, and discover new hobbies,” he continues. 

The name DUDI is an Arabized version of “my dude,” which illustrates the desire to engage in sports activities with friends. It’s also a loose translation of the familiar Arabic term “habibi,” hinting at its regional roots in the Middle East. In fact, it was the increasingly high rates of diabetes in the region that originally led Wehbi to explore new ways to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. 

The decision to create a super app came soon thereafter, stemming from the desire to address customer pain points and provide a comprehensive solution that becomes an essential part of users’ digital lives. Convenient and easy to use, super apps fulfill multiple user needs without having to switch between different applications. As Wehbi explains, they are like shopping malls, where customers can find everything they need in one place. In turn, their convenience and variety of services increase customer engagement and demand. They can include social media features, e-commerce functionalities, communication tools, utilities, financial services, and more. 

Hassan Wehbi, Founder of DUDI Sports Technologies: "Our vision is to bridge two worlds: community and sports. We offer more features, more verticals, and more friends.” 

However, developing and maintaining a super app comes with challenges. Some users may find the all-in-one approach overwhelming, prefering specialized apps for specific services. Privacy concerns and data sharing are potential drawbacks. And a super app’s extensive code library and need for seamless integration pose their own technical difficulties. 

All of which didn’t deter Wehbi. Developing a super app sure is a journey and a process, but he loves it. DUDI Sports Technologies embarked on this path to fill the gaps in sports tech platforms and provide a holistic experience for the sports-loving community. With organic growth and increasing user and vendor engagement, DUDI aims to expand its presence globally, focusing on community engagement, health, and hobbies. 

"With a super app, you can convince your customers to stay, invest, and engage in different parts of their lives and interests." 

To attract and engage users, DUDI massively leveraged social media platforms, starting with Instagram and later transitioning to TikTok where the app now boasts an average of 500 to 700 downloads per month at a cost per user acquisition of $0.4 in Dubai, says Wehbi. Even though TikTok is sometimes perceived as primarily appealing to younger generations, Wehbi emphasizes that the app’s user base extends across various age groups, including those between 20 to 34 and even 40 to 50. 

With 10,000 monthly users and a growing number of brand partnerships, DUDI Sports Technologies is well on its way to becoming a leading player in the global sports community. Its commitment to addressing risks and ensuring a stable and reliable app experience surely is kept to this success. As Wehbi concludes, “We have noticed organic demand in growing our user and vendor community. Our formula of community engagement, health, and hobbies sets us apart in the market.”