Dubai dating: New app The Circle Edition aims to ‘fix modern dating,’ founder says

As the founder and CEO of a new app called The Circle Edition, he believes the way people form relationships today is “broken” – and he has a plan to change it.

“Modern dating is literally all about who is better looking. People are no longer going on dates. They are being very insecure with themselves because of the way they look on these dating apps that rely on heavily edited pictures, looks, abs and stuff which is not even the real you,” Takieddine told Arabian Business. 

Frustrated by his own experience on these platforms, he was determined to craft a solution focusing on authentic human connection rather than fleeting physical attraction or superficial messaging.

“The problem with dating apps is there’s so much friction, and on top of that, there’s so many fake profiles, you don’t know who’s real and who’s not. The frictions are: you have to keep swiping all day long, you have to match, and then you have to message and then, hopefully, that translates into a date,” he said. 

“Now, with these tons of people on the apps, you don’t know if that person is ever going to reply back to you. You get ghosted, you wasted your time, you got five matches and out of the five, maybe one response but at that point, maybe she’ll never respond back and then it’ll never turn into a date so you just keep swiping, paying for super likes and stuff like that to be able to stand out.”

Armed with a vision, Takieddine got to work on his most daring project yet – an app that would meaningfully match people while removing barriers preventing them from meeting up. After months of development, The Circle Edition was born with features designed to disrupt digital norms and get singles interacting in real life once more.

Matchmaking goes high-tech

Long before the app even launched, Takieddine committed to testing his hypothesis. Between January and June, he personally curated hundreds of matches across the Middle East using cutting-edge AI for compatibility analysis and creative first date planning. The results blew him away – an astonishing 92 percent led to second dates.

Emboldened, Takieddine officially unveiled The Circle Edition this month and the results have far exceeded even his loftiest hopes.

“Everyone’s lonely. Everyone’s looking for love,” said Takieddine. 

“Covid made people realise that they love being with someone, they don’t want to be alone for the rest of their lives. So right now, I feel the mindset has shifted. People are looking for companionship. There are a lot of good people who genuinely want someone to share a life with – these are the people I’m going after by giving them a platform where they can meet others who are looking for exactly the same thing.”

Interest in matchmaking has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to popular Netflix shows like “Indian Matchmaker” and “Jewish Matchmaking” shining a spotlight on the practice. In Dubai, however, matchmakers cater predominantly to the wealthy due to extraordinarily high pricing. With some charging up to $30,000 for their services, their help remains out of reach for most residents. This inflated cost targets only the affluent, leaving many singles seeking help with connections from more reasonable options.

“A lot of people can’t afford matchmakers and I’m a prime advocate of using technology for people to meet each other. There shouldn’t be a middle person to make a call for me. I want you to take a call for yourself and go meet that person, see what their vibe is. You don’t need to pay someone who doesn’t know you to find you someone to go out there and meet that person.”

How does the Circle Edition work?

The Circle Edition uses advanced AI and algorithmic technologies to carefully match members and facilitate dates. When completing in-depth profiles detailing interests, values and lifestyle, the app assesses compatibility based on similar answers. It then generates personalised narratives for each matched member, crafting short stories about one another using profile details. This helps members learn about potential matches.

If both users agree after privately reviewing each other’s stories, the process diverges based on gender. Women can freely suggest a date location from venues registered in the app. Meanwhile, men must purchase a $5 “Gentleman’s Card” to propose a date option. Upon both parties accepting the proposed time, date and place, the app automatically books it since it is integrated with these locations’ reservation systems. Three hours before, each receives reminders to confirm or reschedule to ensure the opportunity for a real-life connection. 

The platform has users aged 21 to 60. But as the AI tech powering the platform continues to mature, the system will primarily focus on three key categories: age, religion and location. However, the list will be expanded further down the line. 

“If someone is looking for a Muslim man, I can’t show them a Christian profile. Age, obviously, it’s important. And location, because I’m not going to match people in Dubai with someone in the US.”

The new app takes interactive profile vetting very seriously. The team individually sits down with members who want to acquire the “Video Verified” badge, by confirming their identity via video call. And interestingly, users on the platform have been assisting the team by flagging catfish or fake profiles. 

“The community believes in this so much that they are helping me. They are flagging fake profiles. We’re building this together because everybody wants a safe space for people to meet and we’re building this company for them at the end of the day.”

Since launch, over 4,000 members across 17 countries have joined The Circle Edition revolution. Regional exploits like Cairo coffee dates and Beirut social mixers prove wildly popular for initial interactions. Pilots taking off throughout Europe soon also reflect enthusiasm for the traditional rapport-focused approach.

After experiencing great success in Egypt and the UAE, Takieddine said that it has not been so easy in Saudi Arabia. 

“Saudi is a tough market because we are integrating venues and people still don’t know how to book properly yet. I guess once we roll out messaging, it’s going to make difference,” he explained. 

Users in once-socially conservative Saudi have expressed a great deal of interest in the app, but the vetting process has proven difficult. 

“People in Saudi are 100 percent more open to the app than expected. I have women in burkas, among many different kinds of users, but it’s getting difficult because some women obviously don’t want to show their faces so we are trying to figure out a way around this. We’re still learning.”

By the end of the year, Takieddine hopes the app will amass 15,000 users. 

“People are now seeing the problem with modern dating and dating apps, and they have said they are now seeing the solution. People are loving these blind dates and meeting new people, even if not to go out later on. Just maybe meet a new friend for a drink or for a coffee or lunch, so I’m very happy to make a difference.”

Rekindling realness: A new movement in online dating

For Takieddine, it was never just about the business – this was a personal project to “bring chemistry back.” 

Early successes show the model could be much more than a matchmaking mechanism, but a movement. If modern love’s lost its luster via screens, serial disruptor Takieddine dreams of reigniting romance the old-fashioned way – two hearts at a time.

“We’re missing the human to human connection. I want people to spend less time on their phones and more time having conversation. I want to teach men to be gentlemen as well. I don’t want women to get abandoned at a restaurant or get ghosted,” he said.

With a mission to “fix modern dating,” only time will tell if one app can really turn back time on today’s toxic tendencies. But if anyone has a shot at reprogramming passion for the post-digital age – it seems this entrepreneur may just hold the code.