# Hawaya > Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/products/hawaya | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) | Last checked: 2026-10-22 **In short:** Hawaya was a marriage-focused matchmaking app for Muslim singles, founded in Cairo in 2017 as Harmonica. Match Group bought a majority stake in 2019, renamed it Hawaya in 2020 and closed it on 15 February 2023. It matters as an example of a large dating group buying a local faith-based app, then dropping it to focus on core brands. ## Key facts - Type: Dating app - Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt - Founded: 2017 - Status: Closed. Discontinued on 15 February 2023. - Website: hawaya.com - Founded: Founded in April 2017 in Cairo by Sameh Saleh, Shaymaa Ali, Tamer Saleh and Aly Khaled; originally named Harmonica (2017-04) [source](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/match-group-s-hawaya-brings-its-matchmaking-app-to-muslim-canadians-849151312.html) - Acquisition: Match Group announced its acquisition of Cairo-based Harmonica on 7 August 2019; 12 full-time employees joined Match Group. Terms were not disclosed. (2019-08-07) [source](https://africa.com/internet-giant-match-group-announces-acquisition-of-harmonica-app-and-a-new-leadership-team-in-egypt/) - Rename: Harmonica was renamed Hawaya, from the Arabic word hawa meaning love (2020-02-19) [source](https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2020/02/19/egyptian-dating-app-harmonica-changes-its-name-to-hawaya/) - Features: Selfie verification, optional blurred photos for women, a Guardian feature to involve a trusted person, and an exclusive chat mode (2020-07-13) [source](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/match-group-s-hawaya-brings-its-matchmaking-app-to-muslim-canadians-849151312.html) - Markets: Available in 11 countries as of July 2020, including Canada, France, Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (2020-07-13) [source](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/match-group-s-hawaya-brings-its-matchmaking-app-to-muslim-canadians-849151312.html) - Business model: Freemium, with premium subscriptions priced at around $12 a month according to Rest of World (2020) [source](https://restofworld.org/2020/muslim-dating-apps/) - Closure: Hawaya was discontinued on 15 February 2023 at 15:00 CET; the company said it wanted to focus on other services and keep serving Muslim singles through its other brands (2023-02-15) [source](https://www.hawaya.com/faq.php) - Website status: Official website states Hawaya is closed and not accepting new registrations (2023-02-15) [source](https://www.hawaya.com/) ## About Hawaya was a mobile matchmaking app aimed at Muslim men and women looking for a marriage partner. It was founded in April 2017 in Cairo by four Egyptian entrepreneurs: Sameh Saleh, Shaymaa Ali, Tamer Saleh and Aly Khaled. It launched as Harmonica. Sameh Saleh served as chief executive, and press coverage described Tamer Saleh as chief technology officer and Shaymaa Ali as head of public relations. Early backers included Flat6Labs Cairo and 500 Startups. Match Group announced on 7 August 2019 that it had acquired Harmonica, with a team of 12 full-time staff joining the company. Some reports describe the deal as a majority investment. Financial terms were not disclosed. The app was renamed Hawaya in February 2020, using the Arabic word "hawa", meaning love, and was relaunched in several languages. Its design included selfie verification, an option for women to blur profile photos, a "Guardian" feature that let a trusted person view conversations, and an exclusive chat mode. It used a freemium model with paid premium subscriptions. By July 2020 it was available in 11 countries, including Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Match Group closed the app on 15 February 2023. The Hawaya website says the company chose to focus on other services and intended to keep serving Muslim singles through its other brands. The DII stories that mention Hawaya do so in passing, as part of Match Group's portfolio history, and are not about the app itself. ## Questions **Is Hawaya still running?** No. The official Hawaya website says the app was discontinued on 15 February 2023 and is not accepting new registrations. **Who owned Hawaya?** Match Group announced its acquisition of the app, then called Harmonica, on 7 August 2019. Some reports describe it as a majority investment. **Was Hawaya the same as Harmonica?** Yes. Harmonica was renamed Hawaya in February 2020. **Where was Hawaya based?** It was based in Cairo, Egypt, and was founded in 2017 by four Egyptian entrepreneurs. **What is Hawaya?** Hawaya was a marriage-focused matchmaking app for Muslim singles, founded in Cairo in 2017 as Harmonica. Match Group bought a majority stake in 2019, renamed it Hawaya in 2020 and closed it on 15 February 2023. **Where is Hawaya based?** Hawaya is based in Cairo, Egypt. **When was Hawaya founded?** Hawaya was founded in 2017. --- Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/products/hawaya