Palestine ARABIA500 winner Souktel is an innovative mobile phone-based marketplace of job information and humanitarian assistance

Souktel was a global venture from the day it was launched in 2006. Palestinian co-founders Mohammed Kilany and Lana Hijazi and Canadian Jacob Korenblum came up with the basic concept for a system that would connect youth with good information about the job market and enable aid agencies to keep in touch with their staff and clients. Korenblum pitched the concept at the Harvard Business School’s Business Plan Competition. A runner-up finish at the event helped the team attract funding from the World Bank and develop a software prototype back in Palestine.

Today, Souktel is an innovative mobile phone-based marketplace of job information (JobMatch) and humanitarian assistance (Aidlink) accessible on any cellular handset.  Based in Ramallah, Palestine, Souktel operates on a franchise model in 14 countries, while overseeing service delivery directly within Palestine.

JobMatch users create text message-optimized resumes for potential employers and then receive text messages back with information about potential jobs.  A sister service sends information to illiterate job-seekers via all-audio phone menus. More than 15,000 youth and 200 employers have signed up for the service since it was launched in 2006.  Souktel also helps organizations run their own JobMatch services in places like Morocco, Jordan and East Africa. 

Souktel’s “Aidlink” services allow aid agencies to quickly deliver help even in remote areas.  Over 20 global humanitarian organizations and local non-profits use Aidlink daily.

The Souktel team customizes its technology for companies, aid agencies and staffing firms, so that each of its clients gets a unique mobile software system that meets its exact needs.  10,000 JobMatch users have found work through the service—while Aidlink emergency aid updates have reached close to 200,000 community members.