Leila Muhaizen did not build Baklava to make dating faster. She built it to make relationships last. Raised in Lebanon and now living as part of the Lebanese diaspora in the United States, Muhaizen understood that Arab relationships are rarely casual. They are shaped by family, culture, faith, and a long view of the future. Baklava was created to honor that reality rather than asking people to explain or compromise it.

As Co Founder and CEO, Muhaizen designed Baklava as a relationship platform where Arabs in the diaspora can meet with shared cultural understanding from the beginning. The app is open to all religions and backgrounds but grounded in Arab values, allowing users to focus on compatibility and commitment instead of translation. When people do not have to explain who they are, trust forms faster and relationships move with clarity.

Unlike mainstream platforms that rely on rigid filters and surface level sorting, Baklava emphasizes shared foundations. Muhaizen challenged the idea that more checklists create better outcomes. When cultural alignment is present, it becomes a safety net that supports deeper connection. That approach has led to meaningful results, including engagements, marriages, and families formed through the platform.

Baklava’s growth has been fully bootstrapped and driven by community trust. During its early expansion, the app ranked as the most downloaded app in Germany, surpassing major global platforms. Today, it serves approximately five hundred thousand users worldwide with tens of thousands active weekly across North America and Europe. Millions of meaningful conversations occur on Baklava not because of marketing spend but because users believe in the platform.

For Arab Americans and the broader Arab diaspora, Baklava has become a place where serious relationships begin. Leila Muhaizen did not create a trend. She built infrastructure for long term connection, grounded in culture and designed for a future that includes family and legacy.