Maaref

Name

Maaref

Legal name

Mindluster LTD.

Website

https://m3aarf.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Maaref (منصة معارف) is an Arabic-language e-learning platform serving the Arab world, operated by Mindluster LTD from Riyadh, offering free and premium courses plus ancillary career and content modules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPACALAD

Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Online Learning Content Platforms (Creator-Led Courses)

SECONDARYMPACALAI

Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Online Learning Content Platforms (Creator-Led Courses)

SECONDARYMPACALAK

Assessments, Quizzes & Learning Analytics Tools

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Online Learning Content Platforms (Creator-Led Courses)

SECONDARYHDAAAGAL

Education & Learning Personalization

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/Recommender Systems & Personalization

Keywords

• Online education platform
• Arabic course library
• Certified online courses
• Certificate verification system
• Video-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: The platform sells advertising placements (display ads, promoted courses, educational articles) on its high-traffic website to businesses seeking access to its large learner base.
2. Premium Ad-Free Subscription: Users can subscribe to an ad-free experience (no-ads plan) offering uninterrupted access to over 800,000 educational lessons with faster loading and dedicated technical support.
3. Free Courses with Free Certificates: Platform hosts over 20,000 free training courses. Basic certificates of completion are free. Paid authenticated/official certificates with formal verification are also available as a premium tier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maaref operates a free, Arabic-language online education platform offering more than 20,000 certified video courses and 600,000+ lessons across 120 educational fields, including programming, IT, English, engineering, medicine, graphic design, business, and the arts. Learners register free, self-enroll in self-paced video courses, and can earn free basic or paid authenticated certificates that can be electronically verified via the platform's central database. The platform layers on AI chat learning assistance, structured learning paths, a CV builder, book summaries, psychometric tests, a job board, and utility calculators, with revenue derived from advertising, an ad-free subscription, and paid authenticated certificates.

Product overview

Maaref (منصة معارف) is a comprehensive Arabic-language online educational platform operating on a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is the Certified Courses marketplace (دورات تدريبية), which hosts over 20,000 free training courses across 120 educational fields including programming, IT, engineering, medicine, languages, graphic design, business, and the arts. This core is augmented by a suite of interconnected modules: a CV Builder (إنشاء سيرة ذاتية) for resume creation, a Book Summaries library (ملخصات الكتب) with over 5,000 summaries, an AI Chat assistant (معارف Ai), a Psychometric & Aptitude Assessment suite (اختبارات) with personality, IQ, and language tests, structured Learning Paths (المسارات التعليمية) bundling courses into full specializations, a Job Board (وظائف), utility Smart Apps & Calculators (التطبيقات) such as GPA and BMI trackers, a Public Figures encyclopedia (المؤثرين), a World Cup tournament hub (كأس العالم), Course-based Learning Communities (المجموعات), a Personality Types content hub (أنواع الشخصيات), and a Certificate Verification system (التأكد من صحة الشهادة). An optional Ad-Free Subscription (الدفع بدون إعلانات) removes all advertising for paying members. The platform serves over 3.5 million annual learners with 600,000+ online lessons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• معارف Ai: AI-powered chat and learning assistant service
• اختبارات معارف
• ملخصات الكتب

Products and services

• Certified Courses (دورات تدريبية) The core marketplace of 20,000+ free and certified online video courses across programming, IT, engineering, medicine, English, graphic design, business, and the arts, with free basic certificates and optional paid authenticated certificates issued upon completion. Targeted at Arabic-speaking self-study learners, students, and job seekers.
• CV Builder (إنشاء سيرة ذاتية) A free online tool that lets users build professional resumes and CVs in Arabic and English using multiple customizable templates, downloadable as PDF or image. Targeted at job seekers and freelancers using Maaref for career development.
• Book Summaries (ملخصات الكتب) A library of 5,000+ written and audio summaries of Arabic and international books across literature, self-development, religion, history, and more. Targeted at Arabic-speaking readers and self-development learners using the Maaref platform.
• Maaref AI Chat (معارف Ai) AI-powered conversational assistant integrated into the platform that supports learners with Q&A and interactive learning assistance in Arabic. Targeted at registered Maaref learners across all courses and topics.
• Assessments & Tests (اختبارات) A suite of free online assessments including MBTI personality tests, IQ tests for adults and children, English proficiency tests across three levels, self-confidence, depression, narcissism, ADHD, love, and general knowledge assessments, with certificates issued upon completion. Targeted at Arabic-speaking learners seeking self-understanding and credentialed test results.
• Learning Paths (المسارات التعليمية) Structured learning paths that bundle multiple related courses into sequenced full specializations in Front-End Development, Back-End Development, Mobile App Development, Digital Design, UI Design, UX Design, Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Marketing Analysis. Targeted at learners moving from beginner to professional competency in a domain.
• Job Board (وظائف) A curated job board aggregating vacancies across technology, design, marketing, engineering, sales, and administration with location-based filtering. Targeted at Maaref learners and freelancers transitioning to paid work.
• Certificate Verification (التأكد من صحة الشهادة) An electronic verification service enabling employers, HR managers, and institutions to validate the authenticity of Maaref-issued certificates using a unique certificate ID against a central database. Targeted at employers and educational institutions that need to confirm a candidate's credentials.
• Ad-Free Subscription (الدفع بدون إعلانات) Paid monthly subscription that removes all advertising from the platform, provides ad-free access to 800,000+ lessons with faster course delivery, and includes dedicated technical support. Targeted at active Maaref learners who want an uninterrupted learning experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.5 million students study on the platform annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skillshare: Subscription-based creator-led learning platform focused on creative, technology, and business skills with project-based courses. Comparable to Maaref in creator-led short video courses and self-paced learning paths, though Skillshare targets global English-speaking creative learners.
• edX: University-backed MOOC platform offering free audit tracks and paid certificates/degrees. Comparable to Maaref in offering free course access plus paid credentialed certificates, and in serving adult learners seeking employability outcomes.
• Coursera: Global MOOC platform partnering with universities to deliver certificate and degree programs, including Arabic-language content. Comparable to Maaref's certificate-issuing, self-paced learning model, but at a much higher credential/payment tier and global scale.
• Udemy: Global creator-led course marketplace with thousands of courses in programming, design, marketing, and business. Comparable to Maaref in course-marketplace structure, certificate offering, and broad topical coverage, though Udemy is paid-first and global rather than Arabic-only free-first.
• Khan Academy: Non-profit free educational platform offering video lessons across math, science, programming, and economics with translated Arabic content. Comparable to Maaref in free, self-paced video learning, certificate/credential issuance, and broad subject coverage.
• LinkedIn Learning: Professional and management development learning platform integrated with LinkedIn's professional network, offering certificates and Learning Paths. Comparable to Maaref's professional development courses, learning paths, and certificate model, but distributed via a B2B/professional channel.

Emerging players

• Maharat min Google: Google's free Arabic-language digital skills program covering marketing, data, and freelancing with certificates. Comparable to Maaref in Arabic-language freelancer/career training content and free credentialing, focusing on a narrower digital-marketing curriculum.

Direct peers

• Edraak (إدراك): Arabic-language MOOC platform supported by the Queen Rania Foundation offering university-style courses with certificates in Arabic. Targets the same Arab self-learner audience with free video courses and verified credentials, making it one of Maaref's closest regional comparables.
• Coursat: Arabic online learning platform hosting free courses, particularly in technology and IT topics, to Arab learners. Directly comparable to Maaref in offering Arabic-language video courses with certificates and a self-serve, web-based delivery model.
• Rwaq: One of the largest Arabic online learning platforms offering free courses across programming, design, languages, and business with certificates of completion. Directly competes with Maaref in the same Arab learner market with very similar freemium/content-marketplace model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/M3aarfcom
• Facebookfacebook.com/m3aarfcom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/m3aarf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maaref