Internet domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy announced its partnership with the Arab Fashion Council (AFC) to empower and inspire designers, makers, and all creatives in the UAE and MENA region to take their business online.

In time for Arab Fashion Week – Women’s, taking place from October 24-28, 2021, and as part of a campaign titled ‘Cat Walk The Walk,’ the new partnership with AFC aims to support rising fashion designers, creative entrepreneurs, and small business owners from across the MENA region on becoming digital entrepreneurs and building an online presence using GoDaddy’s expertise and integrated suite of tools and solutions, through the establishment of an online community.

Mohammed Aqra, Chief Strategy Officer at the Arab Fashion Council, said in a statement, “The partnership with GoDaddy supports the digital transformation we implemented in the last year. Whilst the decision now is to go back to full physical activation, GoDaddy will empower the regional creative talent and entrepreneurs to scale their online presence to help reach global audiences. We are excited to explore the power of digital innovation and its role in shaping the fashion and creative industry.”

Selina Bieber, General Manager MENA at GoDaddy, said, “We are excited to partner with the Arab Fashion Council on this unprecedented project where, together, we will support up-and-coming designers and makers with creative flair. We have seen exceptional promising talent rising in the MENA region and GoDaddy would like to support their potential every step of the way to help them create and grow their businesses online.”

As part of the collaborative partnership, GoDaddy will also support the Arab Fashion Council with a series of workshops to teach their network of creative entrepreneurs how to create their digital presence using GoDaddy products and tools.

GoDaddy will also offer eight capable creative entrepreneurs the necessary tools and products to help them establish a strong online presence, including a redesign of their existing website. GoDaddy will promote and feature their entrepreneurial journeys through docuseries and across GoDaddy social media channels.

Three of the top featured creative entrepreneurs are:

Yara Bin Shakar – A young Emirati designer behind the namesake contemporary fashion label @YaraBinShakar. The label consists of contemporary ready-to-wear pieces designed specifically for young working women and students. The label was launched in 2016.

@fltrdme – A multi-brand, curated lifestyle concept store located in Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). Its founder, Zeina Ladki, is a well-established fashion consultant based in the UAE, comes from a fashion retail background, and is a well-known figure in the regional fashion world.

@mseifphotography – A celebrity photographer, known for his work with top brands, celebrities, royalty, and the media, in the region and beyond.

GoDaddy’s partnership with the Arab Fashion Council is the latest in a string of successful collaborations with local communities in the region. Recently, GoDaddy completed its successful partnership with Startups Without Borders, an entrepreneurship support and resource hub, where it trained over 500 entrepreneurs and small business owners across the Middle East on how to start and grow their businesses online.