Omar Bakri

Omar Bakri is trying to bring greater structure and accountability to a private-tutoring market that has traditionally relied heavily on informal, word-of-mouth arrangements. In 2022, he co-founded Thiqa Education with Hamdan Karmustaji in the UAE, building an edtech platform designed to manage the tutoring process rather than simply connect students with tutors.

Thiqa recruits and trains tutors, provides ongoing supervision and student placements, and offers families personalised academic support.

The company says it has delivered more than 75,000 tutoring hours across the UAE and built a network of more than 300 active tutors. In 2024, Thiqa raised $300,000 from Bahrain’s Hope Ventures, Mashael Fairooz of JEO Capital and angel investor Dr Lamya Mahmood through the entrepreneurship show Beban. It has since been recognised by HolonIQ and represented the UAE at BETT UK, one of the education-technology sector’s major international events.

Bakri frames the company’s mission around making private tutoring a more professional, organised and rewarding career while widening access to personalised education.