• Unipal co-founder Ali Al Shaer talks about his next big step on the most successful Student Benefits App in the Kingdom today
• Unipal is a digital card accessible for students via a mobile phone with special offers in over 150 establishments (and still growing) across Bahrain
• Ali is currently working on plans to reach out to students in Riyadh and in the future across the GCC

The high cost of university life and the unexpected fees that go with it are a financial burden to a student, who at the end of the day, ends up cash-strapped.

Student life shouldn’t be “expensive”.

That’s why, Unipal offers a cost-effective solution that brings a world of difference for students.

Now you can afford a lot of things, because you deserve it! 

Thanks to the amazing think tank behind Unipal, Ali Al Shaer, Operations Director of this very successful online education application built in with a continuously expanding range of special offers and discounts for university students.

Today, Unipal is the most successful Student Benefits App in the Kingdom. A digital card accessible on a mobile phone and which comes with special offers and discounts on food, coffee, school supplies, fitness, electronics, etc. in over 150 establishments (and still growing) across Bahrain using a unique digital ID.

To avail of the card, students only need to sign up to Unipal free of cost and the processing only takes a few minutes. The app includes  a Unipal Map which helps locate offers nearest you. A savings tracker is also added to keep track of your activities and how much you have saved up.

Let’s hear it from the first on our list of Bahrain’s hottest startups today, Ali Al Shaer of Unipal.

What is the ‘big idea’ when you first started Unipal?

Me and my partner both studied in the UK and we saw how much students were valued in their community, anywhere we went we received discounts and benefits just for showing our ID cards. Restaurants, cafes, even trains… they truly valued students because they understood that they are the future.

How did you position Unipal against the competition? What unique benefits do you offer to stand out in the market?

We are the number one option for both students and business owners because our offers are student-centric and built around their wants and needs; on the other hand, we are the top choice for all business owners who are trying to reach out to university students.

Our biggest advantage is that we provide an excellent experience to both our students and partners. We offer students access to the best offers, while we give our partners a unique platform that provides the relevant data and access they need to reach out to the youth segment.

How did you prepare for this undertaking?

We did plenty of research. Before moving on to anything we first talked to students and stores to see if we can convince them to join us starting with just an idea and a goal, and nothing more. When we saw both sides were extremely excited about the idea, we accumulated a large number of stores and establishments interested to participate and convinced them to give discounts to students. So, one thing led to another and here we are today.

What are the pillars which made Unipal one of the most successful startups in the country today?

A strong sense of values and team culture applied on a day-to-day basis enabled us to build a great team at Unipal. In order for us to focus in the same direction we need to be aligned with our goals and ambitions personally and for Unipal.

What biggest challenges did you face in your entrepreneurial journey and how did you overcome them?

Running a business has its ups and downs, and Unipal struggled a lot during its early days. It was actually at that point that we introduced our core values and fully strategized our plans. We did our best to be methodical, stay focused on our goals, and devise the most effective ways to reach them. Once we achieved all of these, we have been growing more and more every day.

What enabled you to accelerate your startup journey?

Finding the right mentors, and meeting the right people, accelerators and investors helped us grow much faster.

What drives you to sustain your performance?

Achieving our goal of helping University students and improving their lives, introducing this culture of gratitude for our younger generation in our part of the world.

How do you ensure consistency in customer satisfaction?  

We are constantly in communication with our partners and students, we still face some challenges of course but we are persistent in always improving and making sure the students have a great experience.

What is the next big step for Unipal?

Right now, we will undertake our biggest challenge yet, expanding to Riyadh and helping all the students there, it’s a new territory so we are working hard and learning every day!

We want to make sure that students are appreciated in the GCC and then globally. We want every student on earth to immediately think of Unipal as soon as they are accepted into a university. It’s a big goal but it’s what drives us every day!