السوق المفتوح (OpenSooq)
Platform · this deep dive is built from the official pages of the platform itself and of the tools that support it.
Overview
السوق المفتوح (OpenSooq, "as-Souq al-Maftouh" — "the open market") is the classifieds board of the Middle East and North Africa. It is not a social network: there are no followers, no feed and no creator formats here — there is a listing, a search, a chat with the buyer and paid ways to push the listing higher.
The platform describes itself as the largest mobile classifieds marketplace in the MENA region; the platform launched in 2013 and operates in 20 countries, with more than 120 subcategories of goods and services; the key verticals are cars, real estate, jobs and services, and other classifieds. This is the platform's own claim, not an independent assessment.
A practical detail: every country has its own subdomain (jo.opensooq.com for Jordan, and likewise for the rest), and some services are spun out into separate brands — Shobiddak, Hagzi and Aqsat; all of them are listed in the country switcher on the shared entry page.
Who's here
The platform publishes numbers willingly, but without counting dates. The "about us" page says: more than 2 billion page views a month from more than 120 million unique visitors and more than 800 million user visits a year; an item is sold on the platform every 15 seconds, and the value of what is sold is estimated at more than 30 billion US dollars a year. All of these estimates belong to the platform itself; who counted them and how is not stated.
The App Store description, signed by Opensooq.com Limited, gives a different number: more than 60 million users in 20 countries. Note that 120 million "unique visitors" and 60 million "users" are different metrics and cannot be compared directly.
The geography can be read off the country switcher: the UAE, Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen — the full list with language versions is open on the entry page. There are two languages, Arabic and English, with Kurdish (کوردی) added for Iraq.
Getting started
Registration runs on a phone number with a one-time code: the help centre goes over what to do if the code does not arrive by SMS, in WhatsApp or in Viber, what account confirmation options exist and whether you can have more than one account. The answers themselves are not displayed on the open page — they are loaded by a script.
Whether registration is required to post a listing is raised as a separate question in the help section on listings, but the answer there stays closed as well. From the make-up of the section it is clear that free listings exist and are limited both in number and in frequency: the list includes the questions "why are there limits on listings" and "how often can I post a free listing".
There is no separate business account with document verification on the open pages. For display advertising the platform refers you to its sales department: the question about sliders and banners on the site and in the app is placed in the "Advertising" section.
What you can publish
There is one format — a listing with photos, a price and a contact. The platform describes its topical coverage as more than 120 subcategories built around cars, real estate, jobs and services; the depth is visible in the section tree — from spare parts and tyres to medical and salon equipment.
One rule the platform states right in a help heading: giving a real price is mandatory — the question "why we require the poster to state an exact price" is set out as a separate item, and the same place has an item about listing rules and about why a listing may be deleted or moved to a different category.
The platform publishes deal advice openly: describe the item or service in full; talk to the buyer through chat, a call or comments; when selling digital goods such as gaming accounts, agree on a specific date for the digital payment and only then hand over the credentials; make sure the buyer has inspected the item before leaving.
How to grow
The platform lists its paid promotion tools on a separate page, with its own promises about the effect: "Featured" places the listing in a highlighted block and at the top of search results and delivers, by the platform's claim, up to 15 times more views; "Repost" refreshes the publication date and lifts the listing in the list — up to 10 times more views; "Pin" fixes a featured listing above the other paid ones and makes it the first search result. The "up to 15x" and "10x" multipliers are the platform's promises, not a measurement.
The same page describes the remaining products: "Banner Display" — banner placement for reach and brand promotion; "Bundles" — buying featured slots and reposts in a discounted package; "Elas" — paid publication of a listing once the limit on active listings is used up; "OpenSooq Wallet" — a prepaid wallet that the other services are paid from.
Paid memberships exist separately: the help centre has questions about renewing a membership before it expires, about what happens to listings after it ends, and about the benefits of buying a membership. What exactly a membership includes and how much it costs is not stated on the open pages.
Listings do have built-in statistics: the help centre promises coverage of questions about how views and the number of buyers who got in touch are counted.
Path to monetization
The platform does not pay authors: this is a classifieds board. People earn here by selling their own goods and services, and the platform earns on promotion.
By its own statement, OpenSooq does not take a cut of the deal: the app description says outright "no commission — buy and sell directly". The deal and the payment happen between people, while the platform brings them together and sells visibility.
The free model is narrowing, though. A separate section has appeared in the help centre — "The new paid listing model" — inviting you to "learn about the benefits of the new paid listing model". The contents of the section are not disclosed on the open page, but the very existence of the section points to some categories moving to paid posting.
Payment for services runs on credits and a wallet: the help centre covers paying with credits for publishing, promotion and reposting, topping up the account balance, using coupons and vouchers, and refunds. There are no amounts or currencies on the open pages.
Tools and automation
The platform has no official open API: there is neither a developer portal nor documentation on the accessible pages.
The built-in tools are the mobile apps and the web version. The platform describes the app's capabilities itself: fast listing submission, instant chat and calls with a seller or a buyer, and saved searches with notifications about new matching listings.
No known scheduling service claims OpenSooq support.
Limits and rules
The main constraint is listing limits. The platform does not hide that they exist: the help centre has separate items on the reasons for the limits, the period a listing stays published, and the frequency of free posts. The specific values are closed.
Moderation is active: the same place covers cases where a listing did not appear on the platform, was deleted or was moved to a different category.
The platform states its safety rules for both sides, and fairly firmly: choose a password of at least 8 elements — letters, digits and symbols; do not save login details in the browser; do not share your name, address, bank accounts or personal email; check new accounts by phone number, registration date and response time. Separately, the platform writes that if you suspect fraud, you can file a report with the police, and it will provide the investigation with useful information on request.
Who it's for
It suits those who sell in Arabic-speaking countries and work with local demand: a car dealership, a real estate agency, an employer, a tradesperson, a private seller. The platform calls itself "mobile-first" and builds everything around the app.
It does not suit authors and media projects: there are no content formats and no payouts here. It will not suit those who need automation either: the platform has no open API.
Verified data
The checked data this deep dive rests on.
About the platform
the platform describes itself as follows: «سيارات جديدة ومستعملة وشقق وعقارات ووظائف وغيرها تجدها على السوق المفتوح في الأردن . اعلن مجانا!»
Self-description: this is the platform's claim about itself, not an independent assessment
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform describes itself as the largest mobile classifieds marketplace in the MENA region; launched in 2013, operates in 20 countries, more than 120 subcategories
source, checked 2026-07-28
the App Store lists Opensooq.com Limited as the seller of the app
App store data
source, checked 2026-07-28
some services are spun out into separate brands: Shobiddak (شو بدك), Hagzi (حجزي) and Aqsat (أقساط)
Listed in the country switcher
source, checked 2026-07-28
Where it is available. country versions: the UAE, Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen
The full list from the country switcher
source, checked 2026-07-28
Who's here
the platform claims more than 2 billion page views a month from more than 120 million unique visitors and more than 800 million visits a year; there are no counting dates
The platform's claim about itself
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform claims more than 350 employees in 7 offices
The platform's claim, undated
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform claims that an item is sold on it every 15 seconds and that the value of what is sold is «estimated» at more than 30 billion US dollars a year
The word «estimated» is the platform's own; the estimation method is not disclosed
source, checked 2026-07-28
Sources diverge: the app description claims more than 60 million users in 20 countries
METRIC DISCREPANCY: the «about us» page names 120 million unique visitors, the app description 60 million users; these are different indicators and are not directly comparable
source, checked 2026-07-28
Getting started
to place a listing, registration is compulsory: «The OpenSooq platform is available to navigate by all without the need to register an account, but you will be required to have an account and to be logged-in before taking any action like adding a listing»; one account per person: «each user (and by extension, each mobile number) can be linked to only one account at any one time»
the quotations are verbatim, the source language is English. The second comes from help article 9. Registration goes through a phone number with a one-time code
source, checked 2026-08-07
registration runs on a phone number with a one-time code delivered by SMS, in WhatsApp or in Viber; the help centre covers the account confirmation options
The mechanics are visible from the question headings; the answers themselves are loaded by a script and cannot be read
source, checked 2026-07-28
Content
the platform requires an exact price in the listing — a separate help item is devoted to this; the same place covers the listing rules and the reasons for moving a listing to a different category
The requirement is visible from the question heading; the text of the rules cannot be read
source, checked 2026-07-28
Advertising
paid promotion products: Featured (a highlighted block and the top of search results, by the platform's claim up to 15 times more views), Repost (refreshes the publication date, up to 10 times more views), Pin (fixes the listing above other paid listings)
The «15x» and «10x» multipliers are the platform's promises, not a measurement
source, checked 2026-07-28
other products: Banner Display (banner placement), Bundles (buying featured slots and reposts in a discounted package), Elas (paid publication beyond the limit on active listings), OpenSooq Wallet (a prepaid wallet)
A description of what they do, without prices
source, checked 2026-07-28
How the money works here
the platform takes nothing from the transaction itself because it is not party to it: «You will use the Platform and conclude Transactions at your sole risk and responsibility. While you may be able to effect Transactions through the Platform, you understand and agree that we are not in any way involved in such Transactions, including but not limited to payment of any taxes»; in the help centre on buying: «Delivery and payment have to be arranged separately with the seller»
the quotations are verbatim, the source language is English. Sections 10.7 and 1.4 of the terms of use, the second quotation from help article 95. The platform's income comes from selling its own listing and promotion services, not from a percentage of a sale
source, checked 2026-08-07
the platform does not pay for listings: it is a classifieds board where the seller receives money from the buyer directly and the platform «provide a venue for Sellers and Buyers to negotiate and complete Transactions amongst themselves»
the quotation is verbatim, the source language is English, section 1.4. No author reward programmes, revenue sharing or donations are described either in the terms of use or in the 54 help centre articles (the Accounts, Listing Services, Payments and Purchases and Advertising sections)
source, checked 2026-08-07
to place a listing, registration is compulsory: «The OpenSooq platform is available to navigate by all without the need to register an account, but you will be required to have an account and to be logged-in before taking any action like adding a listing»; one account per person: «each user (and by extension, each mobile number) can be linked to only one account at any one time»
the quotations are verbatim, the source language is English. The second comes from help article 9. Registration goes through a phone number with a one-time code
source, checked 2026-08-07
purchased listing services are not refundable: «All purchases shall be final, irrevocable, and non-refundable»; «All OpenSooq Products are non-refundable»
the quotations are verbatim, the source language is English, sections 4.4 and 3.1. The help centre answers the same way: «In line with our Terms of Use, this is not possible». This concerns money a person pays on entry, which is why it is recorded here
source, checked 2026-08-07
in the app description the platform claims there is no commission on the deal: «No commission — buy and sell directly»
The platform's claim; settlement happens directly between the parties
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform announced a move to paid listings but gave not a single figure in the announcement: «We recently shifted to a paid listing model in some countries where we operate»; further down the article stand three headings — «1. More effective selling:», «2. Serious buyers and sellers:», «3. Competitive listing fees:» — and beneath none of them is there any text
the quotations are verbatim, the source language is English. The empty headings are the state of the published page on 7 August 2026, not a loss in reading: they are empty in the page's source code too. The platform does not name the list of countries with the paid model here
source, checked 2026-08-07
a separate section «The new paid listing model» has appeared in the help centre, inviting you to learn about its benefits
The contents of the section are not disclosed on the open page; the fact of its existence points to some categories moving to paid posting
source, checked 2026-07-28
Paid subscriptions
paid memberships exist: the help centre has questions about renewing a membership before it expires, about what happens to listings after it ends, and about the benefits of buying one
The make-up and the price of a membership are not disclosed on the open pages
source, checked 2026-07-28
Pricing
the account is free, but a person may be charged for the posting itself: «Creating an Account is free. However, we may charge you for posting certain User Content depending on your jurisdiction, the category of User Content and/or the amount of User Content posts generated by you in a specific period of time»
the quotation is verbatim, the source language is English. Section 2.1 of the terms of use. A direct answer to the question «what does it cost to start»: it depends on the country, the category and the number of listings in a period
source, checked 2026-08-07
free listings exist, but not always and not everywhere: «While listings are free in many cases, there are times where you will be required to purchase additional OpenSooq Products in order to list or to unlock additional listings (depending on your country, the type of User Content you wish to create, and the amount of listings you have created)»
the quotation is verbatim, the source language is English. Section 3.1, the description of «Listing Capability Products»
source, checked 2026-08-07
Limits and restrictions
listing limits exist: the help centre has separate items on the reasons for the limits, on how long a listing stays published and on the frequency of free posts
The specific values are closed: the answers are loaded by a script
source, checked 2026-07-28
Restrictions
the platform's safety rules: a password of at least 8 elements (letters, digits, symbols), do not save login details in the browser, do not share your name, address, bank accounts or personal email, check new accounts by phone number, registration date and response time
The «Safety tips» section
source, checked 2026-07-28
API access
the separate help centre domain support.opensooq.com breaks the secure connection when contacted (a TLS handshake error)
OUR check on 28.07.2026; the link points to a working support section of the same operator
source, checked 2026-07-28
Languages
the interface language of the home page: ar
The language is taken from the markup attribute, the versions from hreflang
source, checked 2026-07-28
language versions: Arabic and English for all countries, plus Kurdish (کوردی) for Iraq
source, checked 2026-07-28
Catalogue section: all similar See also: catalogue index · region: Middle East · scheduler comparison · find by situation · platform restrictions