Ghada Ismail
Kuwait's largest online classifieds platform, 4Sale, has become a household name in the region's digital marketplace landscape. Spearheading the platform's technological evolution is Khaled Gomaa, Chief Technology Officer at 4Sale.
A seasoned tech leader with 16 years of experience across all stages of business growth, Khaled has a strong passion for creating products that drive business value. He founded his first company at 18 years old and has since contributed to various technology-driven projects, including social media, marketplaces, AdTech, LegalTech, chatcommerce, and e-commerce sectors.
Throughout his career, Khaled has worked with systems and platforms handling billions of requests, and startups searching for the optimum product-market fit; providing him with vast experience in developing solutions meeting corporate and customer goals.
In this exclusive interview, Khaled shares insights into the platform's journey, its most popular features, and how it has evolved to meet changing consumer expectations. He also discusses 4Sale's innovative use of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning, while offering valuable advice for aspiring tech entrepreneurs in the region.
1. For those who might not be familiar, can you share the story behind 4Sale and what inspired its creation?
4Sale was founded by our CEO - Tarek Sakr – in 2014, following his memorable – but incredibly frustrating - consumer experience, many years ago, of attempting to purchase a second-hand car in Kuwait.
He found the experience so challenging and non-user-friendly that it sparked an entrepreneurial idea. He took a particular interest in subsequently researching the then-embryonic online car sales market – before launching his own website. This grew into what is now Kuwait’s largest online classifieds platform – a platform where people come together to buy and sell goods and services.
Since its inception, 4Sale has supported over 2 million registered users in listing 14 million items and services. Over 7 million devices have accessed the platform through app downloads or website registrations, driving 30 million page views each month.
Trading is a way of life in Kuwait, and creating an online, localized marketplace was a compelling opportunity. Tarek believed technology could capitalize on these cultural strengths and – with online classifieds - there are also virtually no restrictions on product categories to integrate into the business model.
We are committed to the power of personalization. By using cutting-edge technology, we customize our products to match each user’s unique preferences, creating a seamless and tailored shopping experience. Our mission is clear: to make it easy for individuals to find and access the products they love.
2. What categories or features are currently the most popular on 4Sale, and why do you think they resonate so well with users?
Consumer tastes often shift with the seasons and annual events. For example, during Ramadan, our platform sees a major surge in gift sales, amid increased demand for items such as Misbah. This year - we expect the same pattern. Among the top five gifts in Kuwait were watches, Misbah, pens, leather bags, and wallets—each symbolizing enduring elegance and practicality.
Given 4Sale’s heritage in automotive, it is a core part of our DNA and remains one of the most popular verticals on our platform. Last year, our dominance was further cemented via partnerships with car dealerships.
In addition to that, our Contracting vertical grew 7% in revenue year over year, demonstrating shows how we're driving more customers to our service providers, boosting their business and their confidence in our platform.
3. How has the platform evolved to meet the changing expectations of users over the years?
We know—by paying close attention to the data—that today’s customers desire (i) highly specific, tailored interactions, (ii) to be genuinely understood, and (iii) easy and seamless access to purchases. By refining our processes through data collection, we can offer timely, relevant recommendations that create a more personal and enjoyable customer experience.
In this context, people are using the platform as a price reference; it has become essential for knowing what is sold where.
This evolution has also allowed local businesses to gain increased visibility—whether offline or online—by highlighting their services and showrooms, including certified listings from trusted sources offered by 4Sale.
As our rapid growth continues, we will scale up our entire infrastructure in line with our 2025 goal of reaching two million monthly active users across additional verticals. This would represent an impressive market share in a country of just five million people—and our infrastructure will be ready for it.
4. In your opinion, what makes classifieds and e-commerce platforms like 4Sale essential in today’s economy?
People will always trade, even if their methods change. As digitization has increased, we have led in technology. Today’s customers also want effortless experiences - be it buying or selling – and we simplify the buying and selling process for users. Our cutting-edge technology powers advanced algorithms so the process is as tailored and easy as possible.
5. Are there any new products or features in the making to be launched soon?
We are continuously working on new features and are currently preparing some very exciting updates to enhance our primary verticals—automotive and real estate. These updates will allow users to compare prices and know more about the availability of products, as we are committed to helping service providers gain more market visibility in Kuwait. Obviously, we can’t reveal too much right now - but stay tuned!
6. How do you see emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, or Web3 shaping the future of marketplaces like 4Sale?
We already use GenAI to identify distinct user groups based on demographics, behavior, cultures, nationalities, and preferences, enabling tailored marketing campaigns for events and cultural festivals. This approach enhances the overall customer experience by considering their interests, pastimes, hobbies, and collections.
We are also enhancing our machine-learning-driven content moderation system. A key challenge we are tackling involves customers either (i) unintentionally providing incorrect ad details or (ii) misusing the ad modification feature. For example, when users edit their listings, they may significantly alter the content—at times, effectively creating an entirely new ad under the guise of an update.
To mitigate this, we are developing a model that evaluates ad modifications, determining whether changes are routine or substantial enough to require blocking. Additionally, the model helps filter inappropriate content across text, images, and other media, ensuring our platform maintains high-quality standards.
As you can see, the use cases of AI are very broad, and we are excited about these developments. They will enhance marketplaces, making them increasingly appealing to customers.
7. What’s your vision for 4Sale’s future, within Kuwait?
We want to increase the number of verticals we operate in – having now expanded to 197 categories. We will continue to drive innovation - elevating our technology to maintain (and enhance) our status as the leading classifieds service in Kuwait.
As a highly trusted brand that is integrated into users’ everyday behavior, we also want to get closer to transactions and offer even more value-added services during those transactions. This includes a strong focus on business sustainability for our service providers, helping them get more customers and visibility.
If we can keep doing all these things, as we have been doing, then the future will be very exciting.
8. Is there anything you’d like to share with aspiring tech entrepreneurs or those looking to create similar platforms in the region?
I'd start by saying that instead of building from scratch, focus on optimizing and improving what already exists to accelerate development, control costs, and enhance reliability. This approach is crucial for capitalizing on the incredible pace of technological advancements in our region, which has enormous growth potential that can benefit from these developments. This situation is both a privilege and a responsibility. Entrepreneurs need to be hardworking, thoughtful, and creative to capitalize on these trends. Hard work pays off—just be patient and keep going.