When former world number two tennis player Ons Jabeur debuted his new sports sponsorship on the court earlier this year, all eyes were on a Saudi Arabian brand: Kayani, the country’s first homegrown fitness brand, had signed a five-year deal to design exclusive merchandise for the celebrated Tunisian athlete.
Ons Jabbar of Kayani.
Founded just nine months ago, Kayanee is a wellness company offering locally designed premium activewear that combines style, functionality and cultural relevance. Through additional services such as fitness programs, personal care products and nutrition, Kayanee aims to become a one-stop shop for women’s health in Saudi Arabia.
The company, fully owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is chaired by one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the United States and former head of the country’s sports federation, who sent the country’s first female athletes to the Olympic Games.
While the company has a clear market opportunity and business objectives, Kayany also has an added social impact component, which aligns with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to advance women’s well-being. Kayany’s ability to understand its customers and cater to the diverse cultural preferences of consumers puts it in a unique position to create products that are both commercially successful and inspiring to their communities.
“There’s a misconception in the Middle East that activewear has to be modest, when in fact, women work out with other women,” says Mimi Fraser, a veteran brand builder who sits on the board of Kayany. “What we’ve found is that women care about what they wear to the gym and what they wear after. They want to be stylish and comfortable when they go out.”
The brand places a strong emphasis on craftsmanship. “For Kayany, the quality of the product is paramount,” says Fraser. “The consumer is very sophisticated and very sensitive to fabrics and manufacturing techniques. This is a consumer society that is constantly bombarded with products.”
A view from Kayani.
A lot of research went into the product development process to create the right sizes for Saudi Arabian women. “We used state-of-the-art body scanning to gather data and create products that fit Saudi Arabian women perfectly.” The brand offers different sizes, designs and styling options that can be mixed and matched to suit customers’ different lifestyle needs.
Kayany’s first brick-and-mortar store opened in Riyadh’s Diplomatic District in April, showcasing the brand’s full line of wellness products. The state-of-the-art fitness studio offers Pilates classes as well as Kayany’s signature dance fitness programs, which incorporate traditional Middle Eastern beats and music. There is also a health food cafe and a boutique offering a wide range of apparel and wellness products for the skin, hair and scalp.
Kayani’s first physical store in Riyadh.
Kayani skincare products are enriched with locally sourced ingredients such as saffron, cardamom and rose, and Fraser said while there is pressure to produce high-quality products that can compete with the world’s top brands, Saudis also take great pride in wearing Saudi brands.
“Young people in this market, especially women, have a very strong voice. They are committed to forging a new direction and are experiencing a renaissance where, as Princess Reema says, ‘they are loving their country again.'”
The company plans to expand its operations across Saudi Arabia and eventually across the Middle East.
