iQIBLA founder outlines faith-first wearable strategy

Jack Shao says iQIBLA is building a broader Muslim technology ecosystem around prayer, dhikr, pilgrimage safety and preventive health. The Dubai-based founder frames the company’s next phase as a shift from smart wearables to a “faith companion” experience across devices and software.

Why it matters: - iQIBLA is trying to build consumer technology around Muslim life, not just sell another wearable. - The strategy links faith practices, pilgrimage safety and health monitoring into one product ecosystem. - The company is aiming at a large global market that Jack Shao says has been underserved by mainstream tech.

What happened: - Jack Shao, founder and CEO of iQIBLA, outlined the company’s long-term vision in an exclusive interview published Sept. 29, 2026, from Dubai. - Shao said his work in Middle Eastern markets since 1999 shaped iQIBLA’s focus on culture, faith and technology. - iQIBLA said its cumulative Zikr Ring shipments exceeded 4 million units in 2026. - The company is developing RAFIQ OS, HajjBand and iQIBLA Life as the next stages of its product roadmap.

The details: - Shao has nearly three decades of experience in smart hardware, mobile technology, wearables, IoT and connected devices. - Before iQIBLA, Shao built teams through UMEOX and other ventures across industrial design, electronics, embedded systems, Android, mobile apps, cloud platforms, manufacturing and supply chains. - Shao said iQIBLA was founded in December 2020 after years of watching technology compete for human attention. - Zikr Ring launched globally in 2021 as a digital Dhikr-counting wearable with display, vibration feedback and app connectivity. - The product was designed to support remembrance rather than become the center of the experience. - RAFIQ is being positioned as a “companion” layer for faith wearables, with daily Dhikr, prayer experiences, personal faith records and contextual reminders. - RAFIQ AI is intended to add learning and reflection features while staying separate from qualified religious scholarship and traditional spiritual practice. - HajjBand is being developed for Hajj and Umrah with positioning, SOS, return-to-camp guidance, group communication, Tawaf and Sa'i counting, health monitoring, heat-risk alerts, hydration reminders and emergency assistance. - iQIBLA is expanding into watches, bands and connected health devices that track heart rate, HRV, sleep, temperature, activity and recovery. - iQIBLA Life is meant to connect Prayer, Dhikr, Quran, Health, Family, Community and Hajj & Umrah across the company’s devices.

Between the lines: - Shao is framing product design as a cultural exercise, not only an engineering one. - The interview suggests iQIBLA sees an opening in localized technology for Muslim users across regions with different habits and expectations. - The company’s language signals a shift from single-device utility to a persistent software ecosystem that could keep users inside iQIBLA products and services over time. - The emphasis on pilgrimage safety and preventive health shows iQIBLA is trying to anchor the brand in practical needs, not only religious identity.

What's next: - iQIBLA plans to deepen RAFIQ OS as the intelligence layer for faith wearables. - The company expects RAFIQ AI to broaden support for learning and reflection over time. - HajjBand development will continue around connectivity, health and emergency response use cases. - iQIBLA said it will keep expanding across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa and other Muslim markets. - Shao said the company’s broader goal is to build technology that brings users closer to what matters most: faith, health, family, safety and community.