In 2005, the enterprising couple Loai and Mona decided to open a shop. They took the initial letters of their names and ‘LOMAR’ was created. Loai invited his ex-advertising company founders, Marwan Qutub and Eissa Bougari to participate in raising the required funds for the first store, which was, and still is, in Jeddah.

Loai Naseem and his wife, Mona Al-Haddad, began by employing a tailor, purchasing sewing equipment and sketching some designs from their basement at home… By 2008 the couple boasted over 10,000 customers locally and regionally. Their thobe range became popular and finally in 2005, Naseem left his previous employment and entered the business full time with his wife. With four branches around the Kingdom, today Lomar is synonymous with the thobe as stylish attire worn both as a fashion statement and as a declaration of national pride.

Amongst the winners of the 2009 ‘Saudi Fast Growth 100 Award’, Lomar ranked 13 out of 100. The accolade, devoted to those entrepreneurs playing a vital role in the transformation of the Saudi Arabian economy, inspires others to follow in their footsteps and is a testament to the sheer power of their enthusiasm for their brand. So is their listing in the 2010 GUINESS BOOK OF RECORDS with the creation of the biggest thobe in the world. At a length of 33 metres and width of 18 metres, the garment reflects the ‘nothing is impossible’ philosophy of this husband and wife team that today employ more than 250 staff members and have elevated this traditional attire to levels of contemporary style and wearability. “Even though the event was covered by more than 60 media channels and made a huge publicity splash in town, for us every aspect of our progress has equal value. Even when we started with one of Loai’s friends ordering four thobes from him and my husband laughing and telling him “No way, I do this on a personal level, it’s not a business,” Mona recounts.

So what is so special about the Lomar thobe? As pioneers in the market, the company was able to set a trend in thobe production with the introduction of the zipper, coloured stitches and most importantly, the creation of designated designs for different events. By differentiating, some thobes are suitable for business meetings and others ideal for leisure and relaxation, Lomar has been the inspiration for countless other competitors, until it became a standard in the market in a mere few years.

If beautifully designed and elegantly worn, the traditional Arab thobe brings respectability and authority to the wearer, as well as unbeatable comfort. By offering precisely this, Lomar is evolving its brand to become the leader luxury fashion thobe brand in the region.

Lomar’s vision is to become the world’s leading thobe company. Mona and Loai believe this is achieved via the continuous innovation of exquisite thobe designs to evolve a brand that is trendy yet traditional, making a fashion statement while maintaining national pride. In the early days, as a creative director for a large advertising firm, he was always on the lookout for unique thobes to suit his ebullient personality, with no luck. “Tailors couldn’t understand my need, that’s why we recruited one tailor, then two, then more. Since then, the positive feedback from the market has been astounding, today Lomar is a force to be reckoned with”, Loai concludes. “Who knows what the future will bring?”