Can you share a bit about your journey and how you came to lead Kayanee as its CEO?
I spent the last decade of my career in the wellness, lifestyle, luxury, and hospitality spaces, managing businesses across Southeast Asia, China, and the Middle East. It was the opportunity to lead Kayanee that eventually brought me from Singapore to Saudi Arabia. I was immediately drawn here by the vision behind it, and it felt natural to get caught up in the excitement of launching and executing a new and groundbreaking concept in the Kingdom that can positively impact the lives of so many people here.
What inspired the creation of Kayanee, and how does it align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030?
Kayanee, a portfolio company of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which prioritizes fostering a healthier and more active society. Under the visionary leadership of our Chairperson, HRH Princess Reema Bint Bandar, Kayanee is dedicated to transforming women’s wellness. This comprehensive initiative encompasses dance fitness, apparel, personal care products, supplements, healthy eating, and community education.
Kayanee is aligned with PIF’s strategy to discover the capabilities of promising sectors, localize technology and knowledge, and drive the diversification of the local economy, contributing to enhancing the quality of life. Our mission is to inspire and enhance women’s well-being, making us a key player in achieving the vision of a vibrant society. With both physical stores and online offerings, we’re working to bring her vision to life and be the best in class in redefining women’s wellness.
Kayanee merges fitness, fashion, nutrition, personal care, healthy eating, and learning. Can you explain how these elements work together to create a unique customer experience?
I believe that fitness and wellness go far beyond merely working out or exercising at the gym. For us at Kayanee, it means to feel better, move more, eat better, be more confident, and make better choices consistently. Kayanee aims to deliver this to our customers, integrating fitness, fashion, nutrition, personal care, healthy eating, and learning into a seamless customer experience. We have multiple touchpoints where women can engage with us all week, whether it’s to dance, hang out with friends, enjoy a functional ingredient smoothie, or even shop for our fashionable tech abayas made with the best fabrics and latest technology. This holistic perspective reinforces our belief in the power of movement through exploration and connection, inspiring and enabling balanced fitness for women. We encourage our community to pursue their well-being first and foremost, guiding them on a personal journey to discover what moves them physically, emotionally, and mentally. It’s all geared toward fostering a supportive and engaging community for every woman, which is incredibly important to us.
From a fashion perspective, we really listened to our customers through extensive customer research and used advanced body scanning to create clothes that fit perfectly and move with you, wherever whenever. We found that Saudi women were often frustrated with garments designed for Western or Asian body types, which didn’t fit well or were uncomfortable. So, we made it our mission to cater to their unique needs with inclusive style and quality. Our goal is to provide clothing that’s comfortable, boosts confidence, and allows for freedom of movement – so women can feel beautiful and enjoy staying active.
What challenges did you face in the design and development of Kayanee, and how did you overcome them?
Kayanee is a completely new concept not just in the region but globally, which made it challenging to find any existing benchmarks. While some counterparts had individual areas, no one has integrated all these elements together into a comprehensive movement like we have. It was very important that we assembled the right team with the right expertise to successfully develop a concept that doesn’t really exist anywhere else. So far, we’ve overcome many of the challenges we’ve faced by innovating our offering, being flexible, and maintaining a clear vision.
With the flagship location opening in Riyadh, what are your regional and international expansion plans?
Our immediate focus is on expanding our physical presence within the Kingdom, starting with our flagship location in Riyadh. As we continue to grow, we plan to expand into the GCC, Europe, and the US. We believe Kayanee is a world-class international concept with global potential. Our aim is to take Kayanee from Saudi Arabia to the world, but we are concentrating on establishing a strong foundation in Saudi Arabia before moving into international markets.
How will Kayanee’s e-commerce website and digital application enhance customer engagement and accessibility?
Today, customers interact with brands across both physical and digital channels, whether at home, traveling, or anywhere else. At Kayanee, we aim to be an integral part of our customers’ lives, helping them make consistently better choices. That’s one of the main reasons why our e-commerce website and digital application are so important. They’re optimally designed to enhance access for our community, as a way of helping us make their lifestyles in health and well-being easier.
How does Kayanee position entertainment as a motivator for fitness and well-being?
There’s nothing more enjoyable than getting fitter while dancing! Our idea was to help women move more, but in a more engaging way – rather than just using a treadmill, which let’s face it, isn’t the most enjoyable experience. So, we partnered with ZUMBA to create world-class dance routines that use Middle Eastern music, rhythms, and dance moves to really make movement fun. You can see the fun, the energy, and the impact that it’s having on our customers when they come out of a packed dance class and hear them talk about how great it was when they hang out for a smoothie or a collagen coffee. It feels very rewarding and makes all the efforts worthwhile.
What are your long-term goals for Kayanee within Saudi Arabia and internationally?
Our long-term goals include expanding into and across various cities within Saudi Arabia, before exporting our brand into the GCC, the UK, and the US. As part of Vision 2030, we have an ambitious vision to build our brand to become a movement that helps and inspires women around the world to achieve true health and well-being.
Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, looking to make an impact in the luxury and wellness industries?
Having worked in large corporations, small startups, and now leading a startup under the Public Investment Fund (PIF), there is nothing more fulfilling than creating something from scratch and seeing it take shape and come to life. As living standards rise, wellness and luxury have become increasingly important, presenting numerous opportunities as the population spends more on themselves and their physical and mental well-being. My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, is to seize these opportunities when they come about and not be afraid to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys. Love what you do, work diligently towards your ambitions, surround yourselves with people that inspire you and that you can learn from, and keep your vision clear and simple. If we inspire women to start their own ventures, we can create a positive impact on society and the wellness industry, which is an amazing outcome for us.