Arafa Support & FAQ

Question 1

How do I create an account on Arafa?

Accepted Answer

Arafa uses phone-based OTP authentication. Simply enter your GCC phone number on the login page, receive a 6-digit verification code via SMS, and enter it to log in. If you are a new user, you will be guided through the profile setup process automatically.

Question 2

What profile types are available?

Accepted Answer

Arafa offers three profile types: Business (gold badge, for registered companies), Professional (blue badge, for working professionals and freelancers), and Student (green badge, for students and recent graduates). Each type has different features and pricing tailored to your needs.

Question 3

How does phone verification work?

Accepted Answer

We send a one-time password (OTP) to your GCC phone number via SMS. The code is valid for 30 minutes and can only be used once. We support phone numbers from all six GCC countries: Qatar (+974), Saudi Arabia (+966), UAE (+971), Kuwait (+965), Oman (+968), and Bahrain (+973).

Question 4

What are the privacy visibility options?

Accepted Answer

Arafa offers three privacy levels for your profile:

- Public: Anyone on the platform can view your full profile, posts, and contact you.
- Loops Only: Only users you have added to your network (Loops) can see your full profile and posts. Others see limited information.
- Private: Your profile is hidden from discovery and search. Only people you directly share your profile link with can view it.

Question 5

How do I get a custom profile URL?

Accepted Answer

Premium subscribers get a custom URL in the format arafa.qa/yourname. This makes it easy to share your professional profile on business cards, CVs, and social media. Subscribe to Premium from your profile settings to claim your unique URL.

Question 6

Can I generate a QR code for my profile?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Arafa profile has a QR code that can be scanned to instantly view your profile. Premium users get an enhanced QR code with their custom URL embedded. You can download and print your QR code from your profile page.

Question 7

What does Premium include?

Accepted Answer

Premium gives you a custom URL (arafa.qa/yourname), an analytics dashboard showing who viewed your profile (with date, time, and viewer information), priority support, and enhanced visibility in search and discovery. It is available for all profile types.

Question 8

How much does Premium cost?

Accepted Answer

Premium pricing is based on your profile type:

- Student: QAR 2/month
- Professional: QAR 4/month
- Business: QAR 10/month

All plans include the custom URL and analytics dashboard. Payments are processed securely.

Question 9

Can I cancel Premium anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can cancel your Premium subscription at any time from your profile settings. Your premium features will remain active until the end of your current billing period. No long-term contracts required.

Question 10

What e-commerce plans are available?

Accepted Answer

Arafa offers three e-commerce plans for Business profiles:

- Starter (QAR 49/month): 30 products, 2 categories, multiple locations, order management.
- Pro (QAR 499/month): 500 products, 25 categories, 40 sub-categories, 15 brands.
- Enterprise (QAR 1,999/month): Unlimited products, categories, sub-categories, and brands.

All plans include order management, multiple locations, and secure online payment processing.

Question 11

What is the AI Sales Chatbot?

Accepted Answer

The AI Sales Chatbot (QAR 59/month add-on) is an intelligent assistant that learns your products and handles sales conversations 24/7. It can show product cards in chat, manage customer carts, and process checkout with online payment or Cash on Delivery. Requires an active E-Commerce plan.

Question 12

Who can use e-commerce features?

Accepted Answer

E-commerce features are exclusively available for Business profile types. You must have an active e-commerce subscription to list products and process orders. Professional and Student profiles can browse and purchase from shops but cannot create their own.

Question 13

How do I get a verified badge?

Accepted Answer

The verified badge on Arafa is completely FREE for all profile types. Simply upload the required documents from your profile settings, and our team will review and verify your account. There is no payment required for verification.

Question 14

What documents are required for verification?

Accepted Answer

Required documents depend on your profile type:

- Business: Commercial Registration (CR) + Trade License.
- Professional: Professional ID or Employment Certificate.
- Student: Student ID or University Admission Letter.

All documents must be valid and clearly readable. Verification is typically processed within 24-48 hours.

Question 15

Does verification expire?

Accepted Answer

Verification remains active as long as your submitted documents are valid. If your CR or professional license expires, you may be asked to upload renewed documents. We will notify you in advance before any verification status changes.

Question 16

How does advertising pricing work?

Accepted Answer

Arafa uses a unique percentage-based advertising model. You select what percentage of the platform user base you want to reach (from 1% to 99%), and pricing scales accordingly. Minimum spend starts at QAR 29. This ensures transparent, fair pricing for all advertisers.

Question 17

Who can advertise on Arafa?

Accepted Answer

Advertising availability depends on your profile type:

- Business profiles: Full advertising capabilities (product promotions, event ads, B2B advertising).
- Professional profiles: Can run job search ads only (must be verified).
- Student profiles: Cannot advertise.

All advertisers must comply with GCC advertising regulations and Arafa community guidelines.

Question 18

How do I earn reward points?

Accepted Answer

You earn reward points on all paid features on Arafa. For every QAR 100 you spend (excluding delivery fees), you earn 1 reward point. Points are automatically credited to your account after your payment is confirmed. This includes Premium subscriptions, e-commerce plans, advertising spend, certificates, and event tickets.

Question 19

How do I redeem reward points?

Accepted Answer

You can redeem reward points for discounts on any paid feature. The conversion rate is 200 points = QAR 1 discount. The maximum redemption per transaction is 7% of the total value. Points never expire, so you can save them up for larger discounts.

Question 20

Do reward points expire?

Accepted Answer

No. Reward points on Arafa never expire. They remain in your account indefinitely until you choose to redeem them. However, if an order is cancelled, refunded, or returned, any points earned from that order will be removed from your balance.

Question 21

How do certificates work on Arafa?

Accepted Answer

Business profiles can issue QR-verified digital certificates for events, courses, and workshops. Each certificate has a unique QR code that verifies authenticity when scanned. Certificates are stored on the recipient's Arafa profile permanently.

Question 22

How much do certificates cost?

Accepted Answer

Certificate pricing is as follows:

- First batch: 50 certificates for QAR 200.
- Additional batches: 50 certificates for QAR 20 each.

This makes it very affordable for large events. Each certificate includes a unique QR code, the issuer's verified business identity, and is permanently stored on Arafa.

Question 23

How does Arafa handle my personal data?

Accepted Answer

Arafa follows strict data protection standards aligned with international privacy regulations. All data is transmitted securely using TLS 1.3, and stored with infrastructure-level encryption at rest on Google Cloud. We do not sell, share, or expose your data to third parties. We use minimal cookies and no tracking pixels. All data is stored securely on Google Cloud infrastructure in the Middle East region.

Question 24

Are my messages secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All messages on Arafa are transmitted securely using TLS 1.3 and stored on secured servers with infrastructure-level encryption at rest. We take your privacy seriously and follow industry best practices to keep your conversations safe.

Question 25

Is Arafa GDPR-compliant?

Accepted Answer

Arafa implements privacy protections equivalent to GDPR standards, including data minimization, right to access, right to deletion, and explicit consent for data processing. We comply with all applicable data protection laws in the GCC region. You can request a full export or deletion of your data at any time via Settings or by contacting support.

Question 26

Can I have both a Business and Professional profile?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Arafa allows one Business profile and one Professional profile on the same phone number. Go to Settings > Linked Accounts > Add Second Profile to create your second account.

Question 27

How do I switch between my accounts?

Accepted Answer

Go to Settings, scroll to "Linked Accounts" section, and tap "Switch" on your other profile. You can also switch during login by selecting the desired profile from the account picker.

Question 28

How do I invite team members?

Accepted Answer

Business profiles can invite Professional profiles as team members. Go to Seller Dashboard > Team Management > Invite. Choose a role: HR (manage jobs), Marketing (post on behalf), or Admin (full access). The professional must accept the invitation.

Question 29

What can HR and Marketing team members do?

Accepted Answer

HR team members can post and manage job listings on behalf of the business. Marketing team members can create posts and share content on behalf of the business. Both roles require admin verification after acceptance.

Question 30

How do I share my profile?

Accepted Answer

Use the Share button on your profile to generate a QR code or share link. Public profiles get a permanent URL. Private profiles get a temporary link valid for 3 views by non-logged-in users (30-day expiry). Premium subscribers get a custom vanity URL (arafa.qa/yourname).

Question 31

How do I block or unblock a user?

Accepted Answer

To block: visit their profile and tap the three-dot menu > Block. To unblock: go to Settings > Security tab > Blocked Users, then tap "Unblock" next to the user.

Question 32

How do I add a pet to my profile?

Accepted Answer

Go to Edit Profile and scroll to the "My Pets" section (available for Professional and Student profiles). Click "Add Pet", select the type, enter a name, and optionally add a photo. You can add up to 8 pets.

Question 33

What pet types are supported?

Accepted Answer

Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds (including Saker Falcons, Peregrine Falcons, parrots, love birds, budgies, cockatiels, canaries, finches, pigeons, and doves), aquarium fish (goldfish, betta, guppy, angelfish, clownfish, arowana, discus, cichlid, koi), and any other animal via custom entry (snakes, reptiles, hamsters, etc.).

Question 34

How do I tag my pet in a photo?

Accepted Answer

When creating a post with photos, click on the image to place a tag marker, then select your pet from the dropdown. Your tagged pets will appear below the post image.

Question 35

How can I contact Arafa support?

Accepted Answer

You can reach us through the following channels:

- Email: inform@arafa.qa
- Phone: +974 7777 0000 (Sunday-Thursday, 8 AM - 5 PM, Qatar time)

Premium subscribers receive priority support with faster response times.

Question 36

Where is Arafa's office located?

Accepted Answer

Arafa is operated by Abtikarat Louis Trading and Services WLL, CR No. 173808, a company registered in the State of Qatar.

Office Address:
Doha, State of Qatar

For business inquiries: info@arafa.qa
For support: inform@arafa.qa

Question 37

What are the support hours?

Accepted Answer

Our support team is available Sunday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Qatar time, GMT+3). We respond to emails within 24 hours on business days. Premium subscribers receive priority responses within 4 hours during business hours.

Support & FAQ

Getting Started

Profile & Privacy Settings

Premium Features

E-Commerce

Verification

Advertising

Reward Points

Certificates

Privacy & Security

Multi-Account

Team Management

Profile Sharing

Pet Profiles

Contact Us

About Arafa

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

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