Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

Celebrity shout-out start-up booms during coronavirus pandemic

How Emirati entrepreneur Sara Al Madani has turned a crisis into an opportunity through HalaHi

Launching a new start-up in the middle of a pandemic lockdown may seem strange, but Sara Al Madani, CEO of HalaHi, says it was the ideal time to launch HalaHi, the region's first celebrity shout-out platform.

"In a crisis, there is opportunity," said the Emirati entrepreneur.

HalaHi launching during coronavirus solved a problem, she added. "Celebrities have an expensive lifestyle to maintain and during the lockdown, there were no concerts, movies, football games, etc. So through HalaHi, they were making money at home," she explained.

"Also, the fans were depressed in quarantine because they could not leave the house so something like that would cheer them up."

HalaHi has quickly outgrown its original vision of being the Arab region's Cameo, the world's first celebrity shout out program launched in 2017. "In three months, we accomplished what took Cameo three years to do so then we knew our vision was narrow," said Al Madani.

Since its launch in June, HalaHi already has 480 celebrities on board, some of whom get 30 requests per day. Celebrities are from across the globe and include Turkish, Bollywood, Mexican, Hollywood and European actors, influencers, singers and YouTubers.

Users of the app request a shout-out video from one of the celebrities on the platform, which they receive on their phones. Celebrities set their own rates per video, with prices ranging between $20 and $300, according to Al Madani. Some stars, such as influencer Niki Shah charge $900 per video.

Al Madani said the majority of shout-out requests are from women, followed by children who typically request advice videos from their favourite YouTubers or birthday wishes.

Twenty percent of the requests received are from couples who are having a fight and want the celebrity to apologise on their behalf to their partner, according to Al Madani.

"So, for example, one request was from a husband whose wife got mad from him because he had kept her waiting so he requested her favourite celebrity to tell her he's sorry and make her smile."

Currently, HalaHi makes its money by taking a small percentage of profit from the users and celebrities. A percentage of what is taken from each celebrity goes into marketing him or her.

HalaHi is the only celebrity shout-out app to take the concept further by allowing brands to directly collaborate and engage with the celebrities on board. "This saves companies from having to pass through several agencies and saves them money and time," said Al Madani.

While she said it is too early to assess the impact of this channel since it was launched earlier this month, Al Madani expects it will be a significant revenue stream for HalaHi.

HalaHi was founded by five partners including Al Madani, president Saif Belhasa, COO Ibrahim Naji, CTO Mohamed Amine Belarbi and Italian actor Michele Morrone.

HalaHi has expanded into five countries with offices in Turkey India, Egypt, Morocco and the UAE.

On adjusting to life as an entrepreneur is a post-COVID world, Al Madani says: "COVID was a blessing in disguise and taught us so much. I realized it is OK not to be working sometimes, it's ok to spend time with family and to take care of ourselves. It changed us as entrepreneurs internally because we realized that our mental health comes first."

Top 5 most expensive celebrities on HalaHi:


1. Niki Shah, influencer, $920

2. Gizem Karaca $700

3. Elnaz Golrokh, model $500

4. Ahmad Mawas, actor $380

5. Anna-Maria Sieklucka $365

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×