EMPG
Dubai-based classifieds group, formerly EMPG, that owns dubizzle, Bayut, DriveArabia, Hatla2ee and Property Monitor and operates across the Gulf and Egypt.
Industry: Online classifieds and property portals | Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Founded: 2006 | Total Funding: USD 350M
About EMPG
EMPG, which rebranded as Dubizzle Group in May 2023, runs online classifieds and vertical marketplaces in the Middle East and North Africa. Its brands are dubizzle, a general classifieds platform; Bayut, a property portal; DriveArabia, an automotive portal; Hatla2ee, an Egyptian car marketplace; and Property Monitor, a UAE real estate data provider. Its website gives the headquarters as One Central in Dubai and says dubizzle, Bayut and Hatla2ee each cover the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait.
The dubizzle site was founded in 2005 by J.C. Butler and Sim Whatley. OLX bought it in 2015 and merged it with EMPG in 2020, which made OLX the largest shareholder, according to Online Marketplaces. The group's website lists Imran Ali Khan as co-founder and Group CEO, Zeeshan Ali Khan as co-founder and CEO for Saudi Arabia, Haider Ali Khan as CEO for the UAE and Areeb Pasha as Group CFO since May 2025. It reports more than 2,600 employees in 10 countries.
In April 2026 dubizzle added TruEstimate, an AI-powered valuation tool powered by Bayut in collaboration with the Dubai Land Department. Bayut launched an app on ChatGPT on 1 June 2026. Dubizzle Group Ventures invested in the rental rewards platform Tern in June 2026 and the rental guarantee platform Takeem in July 2026, both on undisclosed terms.
Dubizzle Group acquired DriveArabia in May 2024, Hatla2ee in February 2025 and Property Monitor in April 2025. Prices were not disclosed.
The group's website lists funding rounds from 2013 to 2018. In 2020 it raised $150 million alongside the OLX Group MENA transaction, reaching a $1 billion valuation. In 2022 it raised a $200 million Series E led by Affinity Partners, with KCK, Acacia Partners and Prosus taking part. Online Marketplaces reported revenue rising from $104 million in 2022 to $183 million in 2024.
On 13 October 2025 the group announced an offering of about 30.34 percent of its shares on the Dubai Financial Market, with Prosus committing $100 million. It postponed the offering on 22 October 2025 and said it would assess timing for a future offering.
Leadership
- Imran Ali Khan, Co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer
- Zeeshan Ali Khan, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Arabia
- Haider Ali Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Dubizzle Group UAE
- Areeb Pasha, Group Chief Financial Officer
- Mohammed Majid, Group Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
- Ovidiu Sabou, Chief Technology Officer
- Haroon Rashid, Chief Executive Officer, Egypt
- Nicolas Majeau, Chief Strategy Officer, UAE