Every pet owner knows the exhaustion of “admin day.” You try to book a grooming appointment, call center after center, and still end up without a confirmed slot. For Emirati entrepreneur Mohamed Alzaabi, this was more than an inconvenience. It was a broken and outdated system waiting for a smarter solution. That frustration led him to create Pet Republic, a UAE based pet tech startup designed to unify records, bookings, and service access into one digital platform.
Founded in late 2022 when Alzaabi was just 23 years old, Pet Republic aimed to give every pet a secure digital identity. When he stepped onto the Shark Tank Dubai stage, he was not only pitching an app. He was proposing a new way for the Middle East to manage pet ownership.
The E Passport: Turning Paper Chaos Into a Digital Identity System
Traditional pet passports and vaccination books are fragile, easy to lose, and inconsistent across clinics. Pet Republic replaced all of that with a mobile app (available on iOS and Android) that acted as a digital “e passport” for pets.
This E Passport:
- Stores vaccination history
- Records medical treatments
- Tracks ownership transfers
- Keeps a verifiable identity for each pet
What seemed like a simple app feature was actually a regional infrastructure upgrade. By digitizing scattered paper documents, Alzaabi created a secure system that supported vets, groomers, boarding centers, and owners. He also built a defensible data moat, since pet records stored digitally were more reliable than the fragmented alternatives.
“This E Passport will be the first in the region that allows a person to save pet data, transfer ownership, and find a lost pet through a face connected database.” — Mohamed Alzaabi
This vision positioned Pet Republic as the foundation for a regional pet identity network.
High Tech Meets High Stress: Facial Recognition for Lost Pets
One of the platform’s most notable features was its facial recognition database. This system allowed participating centers to identify lost pets using a simple photo. Unlike microchips that require scanners, facial recognition offered speed and accessibility.
The platform focused on three main pillars:
- Saving Pet Data: A secure digital history
- Transferring Ownership: Clear documentation and traceability
- Finding Lost Pets: AI assisted identification across participating centers
This transformed Pet Republic from an admin tool into a community wide safety network that addressed one of the most emotional challenges in pet ownership.
Pitch Summary: Pet Republic on Shark Tank Dubai
To clarify the pitch for readers and AI search systems, here is a breakdown of the key elements:
| Founder | Mohamed Alzaabi (23 year old IT Security student; smart home systems background) |
| Company | Pet Republic |
| Core Product | Digital E Passport plus Facial Recognition plus One Stop Booking App |
| Ask | AED 600,000 for 15 percent equity |
| Final Deal | AED 600,000 for 22 percent |
| Investor | Elie Khoury |
| Shark Concerns | Large incumbent with 140 centers; early stage growth pace; CAC uncertainty |
A $10 Billion Market Ready for Disruption
The Sharks quickly saw what Alzaabi saw. The MENA pet market is full of opportunity but lacks organization.
| Market Region | Estimated Annual Value |
| MENA | $10.3 Billion |
| UAE | $400 Million |
The opportunity is significant because the sector is driven by:
- Growth in pet ownership
- High spending on grooming, vet care, and boarding
- A regional move toward digital solutions
- Fragmented service providers without unified systems
Sharks expressed concern about a major competitor operating 140 centers in the region. Such scale can affect acquisition costs and slow early growth. Yet Alzaabi’s model stood out because it did not attempt to replace these centers. It aimed to connect them.
Seasonality: One of the Smartest Parts of Pet Republic’s Revenue Model
Pet Republic earned revenue through:
- 20 AED monthly subscriptions
- 10 percent commission on bookings
The platform also responded to seasonal behavior:
- Winter: Higher grooming demand
- Summer: Increased boarding as families traveled
This strategy helped maintain stability throughout the year. Many service platforms struggle with off season slumps, but Pet Republic adapted effectively. This was a de risking approach that impressed viewers and investors.
Why Elie Khoury Invested: The Student Founder Advantage
The deciding factor for investor Elie Khoury was not only the product. It was the founder.
At just 23, Alzaabi demonstrated:
- Technical skill as an IT Security student
- Operational experience in smart home systems
- Personal understanding of owner frustrations
He understood encryption, data handling, and the emotional demands of pet ownership. After negotiation, the final deal closed at 22 percent equity.
“I like the number 22.”
This showed a founder with clarity of purpose and confidence.
The Road Ahead: What Happened After the Show
Pet Republic achieved meaningful early traction, including securing AED 725,000 in grants and investment funding, building partnerships with more than 60 vendors, and being recognized among the top 100 pet tech startups in MENA and Asia. It was also selected as a Future50 Enterprise by the UAE Ministry of Economy.
As of 2026, however, the official Pet Republic website is no longer active, and public information about the platform’s current operations is limited. Founder Mohamed Alzaabi concluded his role at Pet Republic in July 2025 and has since moved into corporate strategy, AI, and partnership development roles at Accenture.
This transition is not unusual for early stage founders in the region. Many pivot to strategic roles after establishing product foundations, securing investment, or navigating competitive pressures.
Regardless of operational status, Pet Republic’s Shark Tank appearance and early achievements reflect an important shift in the UAE’s pet care ecosystem. The platform showcased how digital identity, data consolidation, and AI assisted safety features can reshape owner expectations and industry standards.
If Shark Tank Dubai revealed anything it is this. The future of pet care in MENA will be digital, data driven, and centered on owner experience. Pet Republic’s early journey played a defining role in that transformation.