50 WOMEN

Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2023

1 Huda Kattan

• Brand: Huda Beauty

Category: Beauty Establishment: 2013

Nationality: Iraqi-American Headquarters: U.A.E.

Kattan started her makeup brand, Huda Beauty, with her two sisters in 2013. She launched her brand with a collection of false lashes, then expanded into skincare and cosmetics, retailing direct-toconsumer and in stores like Sephora around the world. In 2021, she launched the GloWish line of makeup as a sub-brand of Huda Beauty. Today, Huda Beauty sells more than 140 products, bringing in about $200 million in annual sales. Forbes recognized Kattan as one of America’s Richest Self-Made Women in 2023, with an estimated net worth of $400 million as of May 12, 2023.

2 Rayan Al Sulaimani

• Brand: Atelier Zuhra

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Omani

Headquarters: U.A.E. and Oman

Atelier Zuhra was founded in the U.A.E. in 2015 by Rayan Al Sulaimani’s mother, Mouza Al Awfi. The brand creates haute couture pieces, bridal wear, abayas, and embellished work on upcycled denim. Global celebrities that have worn the brand include Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Naomi Campbell, Winnie Harlow, Madelaine Petsch, Nora Fatehi, and Paris Hilton. Beyoncé wore Atelier Zuhra at the opening of the Atlantis The Royal in January 2023.

3 Selma Benomar

• Brand: SELMA BENOMAR

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2012

Nationality: Moroccan-French Headquarters: U.A.E. Benomar established her brand of Moroccan kaftans in Dubai in 2012. Influencers and local celebrities have been spotted wearing her kaftans, including Assala Nasri, Aseel Omran, Salma Rachid, Lojain Omran, and Mayssa Maghrebi. The brand recently announced a sustainable practices initiative with ecofriendly manufacturing processes and materials sourced from sustainable suppliers.

4 Hind Sebti

• Brand: whind

Category: Beauty Establishment: 2021

Nationality: Moroccan Headquarters: U.K.

Sebti is the founder of the beauty and skincare brand whind and cofounder and CGO of Waldencast, a holding company and investment fund that incubates and accelerates early-stage beauty and wellness brands. The company was valued at $1.2 billion and listed on Nasdaq in 2022. Waldencast had a market cap of over $1 billion as of June 16, 2023. whind was the first beauty brand incubated as part of Waldencast.

5 Mouna Abbassy

• Brand: Izil Beauty

Category: Beauty Establishment: 2012

Nationality: Moroccan Headquarters: U.A.E.

Abbassy created Izil Beauty to share her Moroccan beauty heritage, which was passed down to her by her mother. The brand offers natural skincare products using ancient Moroccan recipes. Today, the brand sells online with worldwide shipping and offers an in-store experience at the Izil Hammam and Spa in Dubai Mall. Izil Beauty had 371,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023. The brand has been endorsed by various celebrities, including Nora Fatehi and Nadine Nassib Njeim.

7 Azza Fahmy, Amina, and Fatma Ghali

• Brand: Azza Fahmy Jewellery

Category: Jewelry

Establishment: 1969

Nationality: Egyptian

Headquarters: Egypt

Fahmy runs her eponymous firm with her daughters, Fatma Ghali, who is CEO, and Amina Ghali, who is the head designer. Fahmy began her career in 1969, making jewelry pieces and selling them to her friends. Fahmy’s designs have been worn by celebrities, including Yousra, Julia Roberts, Joss Stone, Amy Adams, Rihanna, and Raya Abirached. In 2013, she independently funded and established the Design Studio by Azza Fahmy, a design training institute. In December 2022, she collaborated with French design house Balmain on a piece celebrating Ancient Egypt.

6 Mona Kattan

• Brand: Kayali; Huda Beauty

Category: Perfumes; Beauty Establishment: 2018; 2013

Nationality: Iraqi-American Headquarters: U.A.E.

Kattan first entered the cosmetics industry as a cofounder of Huda Beauty alongside her sisters Huda and Alya in 2013. She is currently the Global President of Huda Beauty. In 2018, she launched her own perfume brand, Kayali, with a collection of four scents. Kattan has a global social media audience with more than 2.9 million Instagram followers as of June 2023.

8 Reem Acra

• Brand: Reem Acra

Category: Fashion Establishment: 1997

Nationality: Lebanese-American Headquarters: U.S.

Acra’s talent was first discovered by a fashion editor at a party while she was still a student at the American University of Beirut. She debuted her designs at her first fashion show only ten days later. In 1997, Acra’s first bridal design was worn by a high-profile socialite. She established her eponymous line, Reem Acra New York, in the same year. Acra launched her first ready-to-wear collection in 2001. Her designs have been seen on celebrities such as U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, Princess Beatrice of York, and Poorna Jagannathan.

9 Denise Soda

• Brand: BASIL SODA

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2000

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: Lebanon

Soda is the CEO of the BASIL SODA Fashion House, which was founded by her late husband, Basil Soda. She continues to manage the brand with the assistance of her son Jad. Soda graduated as an interior designer from the Lebanese University and sewed her own garments throughout her childhood. She later helped her husband with his haute couture shows across the globe. The fashion house’s designs have been worn by celebrities, including Katy Perry, Emily Blunt, Chanel Iman, Amanda Holden, and Jiang Yiyan. It had over 239,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

10 Yasmine Yeya

• Brand: Maison Yeya

Category: Fashion

Establishment: 2007

Nationality: French - Egyptian

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Yeya founded her FrenchEgyptian luxury fashion house in 2007 in Egypt and relocated its headquarters to Dubai in 2016. Maison Yeya has dressed renowned Arab and international figures, including Megan Fox, Halle Bailey, Taylor Hill, and Egypt’s First Lady Intissar El Sisi. In 2022, the brand launched a sustainability initiative, which makes couture dresses from crisp bags and recycles plastic bottles into couture embroideries. In 2023, the brand was selected to be showcased in the Cleveland Museum of Art for a year representing modern Egyptian art. Maison Yeya had 303,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

12 Lilian Afshar

• Brand: L’AFSHAR

Category: Accessories Establishment: 2013

Nationality: British-Iranian Headquarters: U.A.E.

L’AFSHAR’s bags have been worn by celebrities, including Beyoncé, Bella Hadid, Queen Rania, and Zara Martin. They have also been featured in the TV series Emily in Paris and Gossip Girl. In 2022, Afshar launched a homeware line at Selfridges. As of June 2023, L’AFSHAR had over 96,200 followers on Instagram.

11 Salama Mohamed

• Brand: Peacefull Category: Beauty Establishment: 2021

Nationality: Emirati Headquarters: U.A.E.

Mohamed launched her brand Peacefull in June 2021 in Dubai, offering skincare ingredients for different types of skin for Middle Eastern weather. The brand uses Korean skincare science and technology. Before launching Peacefull, Mohamed was a renowned influencer. She had 1.5 million followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

13 Andrea Wazen

• Brand: Andrea Wazen

Category: Footwear Establishment: 2013

Nationality: Lebanese

Headquarters: Lebanon

Lebanese shoe designer Wazen trained under Rupert Sanderson and Christian Louboutin after relocating to the U.K. in 2010 and established her brand in 2013. She has also lived in Paris and studied at the Istituto Marangoni Italian fashion school. Wazen’s shoes have been spotted on the likes of Beyoncé, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Jenner, Winnie Harlow, and Dua Lipa. In 2023, Wazen opened a store in Printemps Doha, Qatar. The brand has a wide presence across Europe online and in stores and is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, LUISAVIAROMA, Neiman Marcus, Level Shoes, and Ounass, among others.

14 Sara Onsi

• Brand: Sara Onsi

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2016

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

Onsi has dressed celebrities, including Yousra, Hend Sabry, Mona Zaki, and Amina Khalil. In 2022, her designs were seen on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. She also dressed Sophia the Robot in 2020. Onsi’s designs have been showcased at fashion weeks in Paris, London, Milan, and New York.

16 Zeena Zaki

• Brand: Zeena Zaki

Category: Fashion

Establishment: 2003

Nationality: Iraqi

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Zaki launched her brand in the U.A.E. in 2003. Zaki’s designs cover abayas, kaftans, and dresses. The brand has dressed celebrities, including Lana Del Rey, Kris Jenner, Ciara, Demi Lovato, Dorra Zarrouk, Khloé Kardashian, Tyra Banks, Karrueche Tran, Nancy Ajram, Balqees, and Sherine Abdel-Wahab. Zaki had 1.3 million followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

15 Hadia Ghaleb

• Brand: Hadia Ghaleb Label

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2022

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: U.A.E.

Ghaleb launched her brand in April 2022 with the aim to empower women globally and cultivate social positivity around modest swimwear. By September 2022, the brand had sold out its entire collection. Hadia Ghaleb Brand had 316,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023, while Ghaleb personally had 2.4 million followers. The brand is produced by Ghaleb Production House, which is owned by Ghaleb and her family.

17 Nadine Merabi

• Brand: NADINE MERABI

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2016

Nationality: British-Lebanese Headquarters: U.K.

Merabi is a fashion designer and the cofounder of her eponymous fashion label. She started as an international England hockey player and launched her eponymous brand in 2016. With over 1.2 million followers on Instagram as of June 2023, the brand has been worn by celebrities, including Alix Earle, Claire Rose, Sofia Vergara, Becky Hill, Portia Freeman, and Zara Martin. It has been showcased at fashion weeks in London, Milan, and New York.

18 Aya & Mounaz Abdelraouf

• Brand: OKHTEIN

Category: Accessories Establishment: 2014

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

Sisters Aya and Mounaz established OKHTEIN in 2014 and opened their first store in 2017, specializing in luxury fashion accessories. OKHTEIN’s designs have been spotted on celebrities, including Beyoncé, Kourtney Kardashian, and Gigi Hadid. The company launched a mobile app in December 2021. The brand also opened stores across the North Coast and Cairo in Egypt. In 2022, OKHTEIN collaborated with Naila Marei Studio on the Puffed Leather Oak in Red that was auctioned at the “Dinner From The Heart,” where proceeds were donated to the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation. In the same year, OKHTEIN also collaborated with Balmain during Paris Fashion Week.

19 Doaa Gawish

• Brand: The Hair Addict

Category: Beauty Establishment: 2018

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

The Hair Addict is an organic hair care brand that focuses on natural and curly hair. Since its launch, The Hair Addict has been endorsed by Middle Eastern actresses and influencers, including Mona Zaki, Hend Sabry, Yousra El Lozy, and Amina Khalil. In May 2022, the brand’s Frizz Off formula powered the Natural Hair Fest, which was attended by celebrities and dermatologists. The Hair Addict had over 383,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook as of June 2023.

20 Zeynab El-Helw

• Brand: Яeboяn

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2019

Nationality: Turkish-Egyptian Headquarters: U.A.E.

El-Helw is a fashion influencer, model, and founder of Reborn, a sustainable and ethically conscious clothing line launched in collaboration with UNHCR to support refugees worldwide. With over 10 years of experience in the fashion industry, she had over four million followers on Instagram as of June 2023. She began her career at Dior and rose to become a regional marketing manager for the Middle East, Africa, and Türkiye. Also known by her pseudonym, the “Fashion Pirate,” El-Helw has worked with brands such as Valentino, Dior, Prada, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton.

21 Margeri Ottis

• Brand: KimonoGirl

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2021

Nationality: Estonian Headquarters: U.A.E.

Ottis founded KimonoGirl as an “energy fashion” brand. She claims to use high frequencies and mantras on garments to elevate the spirit of the wearer. The brand’s kimonos are woven in India and Dubai. KimonoGirl’s collections are inspired by vibrations and natural elements, such as water, air, earth, and fire.

22 Myriam Keramane

• Brand: Myriam•K Paris

Category: Beauty Establishment: 2009

Nationality: French Headquarters: U.A.E. and France

Keramane is the founder of Myriam•K Paris. The beauty company has over 300 products and expanded its roots to the Middle East in 2020. Keramane has over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry. Nour Arida, Julia Hussein, The Hala, and Laila Abdallah are among the celebrities who use Keramane’s products. Keramane had more than 344,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

23 Maram Borhan

• Brand: Maram Borhan, Maram The Label

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2017;2020

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

Maram Borhan is a luxury couture house that creates a range of embroidered, sequin embellished, and pleated gowns inspired by nature. Borhan’s designs have been worn by celebrities such as Salma Abu Deif, Jamila Awad, Mai Omar, and Mona Zaki. The brand is currently sold at FARFETCH. In 2022, Borhan participated in Arab Fashion Week 2022 and Cairo Design Week.

24 Reema Dahbour

• Brand: REEMA DAHBOUR

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2014

Nationality: Jordanian Headquarters: Jordan

Dahbour’s creations come from a slow fashion, sustainability mindset, with a focus on the empowerment of the local community. Her designs range from ready-to-wear to bridal, where each piece is created by a group of local artisans ranging from embroidery to beading. Dahbour dressed Princess Iman of Jordan for her pre-wedding celebration in March 2023.

25 Marmar Halim

• Brand: Marmar Halim

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2012

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: U.A.E.

Marmar Halim designs have been worn by celebrities such as Georgina Rodríguez, Sabrina Dhowre Elba, Maya Williams, and Elizabeth Olsen. The brand took part in Dubai Fashion Week, formerly known as Arab Fashion Week, in 2023 and will participate in New York Bridal Week in 2023. The brand had over 236,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

26 Farida Temraz

• Brand: Temraza

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2012

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

Temraza released its first collection in the autumn/winter of 2014 during Paris Fashion Week. It has dressed international celebrities such as Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lahmers, and Arden Cho. In 2021, Temraz wrote a book called “Fashion Branding and Social Media: A Practical Guide.” In June 2022, the brand released a documentary, “10 YEARS OF EVOLUTION,” featuring testimonials from more than 20 celebrities.

27 Gemy Maalouf

• Brand: Gemy Maalouf

Category: Fashion Establishment: 1996

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: Lebanon

Gemy Maalouf started in Beirut and launched the “Couture a Porter” concept in Lebanon. The brand has showcased its designs in fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, and New York and has been worn by celebrities at international events such as Cannes Film Festival and the Grammy’s. The fashion label had over 228,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023. It has over 150 boutiques across 48 different countries.

28 Nadine Kanso

• Brand: Bil Arabi

Category: Jewelry Establishment: 2006

Nationality: Candian Headquarters: U.A.E.

Kanso’s jewelry designs incorporate Arabic calligraphy with a modern overall look. Celebrity fans include Nadine Nassib Njeim, Huda Kattan, and Amina Muaddi. In 2023, Kanso collaborated with French perfume and beauty house Guerlain to create limited-edition perfume bottles encrusted with 24-karat gold crystals. Kanso is the first Arab designer the LVMH-owned perfume and beauty house has approached for a design collaboration.

29 Sabrina Mouhieddine

• Brand: Lili Blanc

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2020

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: U.A.E.

Mouhieddine started her career in the corporate world in Lebanon aged 18 and moved to Dubai at 24 in search of better opportunities. Today, her luxury ready-to-wear fashion brand Lili Blanc has been worn by celebrities, including Rahma Riad, Balqees, Yara, Loujain Adada, Samira Said, Kelly Rowland, and Radhi Devlukia Shetty. Mouhieddine has over 82,000 followers on Instagram, and Lili Blanc has around 83,000 as of June 2023.

30 Dima Ayad

• Brand: Dima Ayad

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2010

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: U.A.E.

Dubai-based Lebanese designer Ayad launched her namesake brand in 2010, offering dresses, kaftans, abayas, and jackets. Ayad dressed Melissa McCarthy for the premier of The Little Mermaid in 2023. Other celebrities that have worn the brand include Ashley Graham, Ghizlan Guenez Barnes, and Karen Wazen. The brand had 63,700 followers on Instagram as of June 2023. Ayad is also the CEO and founder of DAC Communications, a media, marketing, and PR agency.

32 Dima & Tania Nawbar

• Brand: L’atelier Nawbar

Category: Jewelry Establishment: 2011

Nationality: British-Lebanese

Headquarters: Lebanon

Sisters Dima and Tania Nawbar are the first female and fourth-generation jewelers in the Nawbar dynasty. Tania is responsible for business development, and Dima takes care of client servicing of the L’atelier Nawbar jewelry brand. Celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Joey King, Halle Berry, and Charlize Theron have been spotted wearing Nawbar designs. The brand’s “fragments of Beirut” jewelry collection uses glass from the destruction of the 2020 Beirut blast and was showcased during Paris Fashion Week 2021.

31 Alice Abdel Aziz

• Brand: Take Me To Wonder

Category: Beauty Establishment: 2018

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: Lebanon

Abdel Aziz is the founder of skincare brand Take Me To Wonder, cofounder of NGO Bird Of Lyf, and digital influencer. Take Me To Wonder has been endorsed by celebrities, including Haifa Wehbe, Nadine Nassib Njeim, Karen Wazen, Zuhair Murad, Rami Kadi, and Stephane Rolland.

33 Lama Jouni

• Brand: LAMA JOUNI

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: U.A.E.

Jouni has trained at well-established fashion houses such as Balmain, Rad Hourani, and Reed Krakoff. Sustainable fashion label LAMA JOUNI’s designs have been worn by celebrities, including Alexandra Pereira, Marta Ortiz, Bella Hadid, Rihanna, and Alessandra Ambrosio. Jouni has also collaborated with international brands such as Puma.

35 Sarah Beydoun

• Brand: Sarah’s Bag

Category: Accessories

Establishment: 2000

Nationality: Lebanese

Headquarters: Lebanon

Handbag and accessories brand Sarah’s Bag has been seen on celebrities, including Amal Clooney, Dorra Zarrouk, Mona Zaki, and Nancy Ajram. Sarah’s Bag has collaborated with Mastercard and with luxury brand Chloé to highlight the importance of social sustainability and the empowerment of women. Over 200 artisans work with the brand. It had over 143,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

34 Joelle Moughalian

• Brand: J by Joëlle Fine Jewelry

Category: Jewelry Establishment: 2016

Nationality: Lebanese-Armenian

Headquarters: Lebanon and Qatar

J by Joëlle is a luxury jewelry brand specializing in earrings and ear styling, as well as watches and eyewear jewelry accessories. Moughalian studied jewelry design at the Gemological Institute of America in New York. Its designs and pieces have been worn by celebrities, including Aseel Hameem, Ola Al Fares, Dalida Khalil, Nabila Awad, Haneen Alsaify, and Cynthia Samuel.

36 Mariam Yeya

• Brand: Mrs. Keepa

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2016

Nationality: French-Egyptian Headquarters: U.A.E.

Yeya cofounded the sustainable ready-to-wear brand Mrs. Keepa with her husband, Bassel Komaty, whose nickname is Keepa. Yeya worked in the corporate world for 12 years before launching her own clothing line. She has over 226,000 followers on Instagram, and Mrs. Keepa has over 43,000 as of June 2023. Mrs. Keepa’s designs have been worn by celebrities, including Nicole Scherzinger, Shanina Shaik, Gizele Oliveira, Kelly Wearstler, and Nour Arida.

37 Honayda Serafi

• Brand: HONAYDA

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2016

Nationality: Saudi Headquarters: Lebanon

Serafi is the Creative Director of the luxury ready-to-wear brand HONAYDA. The Jordanian Royal family requested Serafi to custom design Prince Hussein bin Abdullah’s wife, Princess Rajwa Al Hussein’s pre-wedding henna ceremony dress. Other celebrities that have chosen to wear the brand include Priyanka Chopra, Lupita Nyong’o, Shay Mitchell, Angham, Hend Sabri, and Dorra Zarrouk.

39 Mariane Bechara

• Brand: MARIANE BECHARA

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2017

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: Lebanon

Bechara’s designs have been worn by celebrities such as Codie Elaine, Paulina Rubio, Madison Cunningham, Raya Abirached, and Latifa. Haute couture brand MARIANE BECHARA had over 111,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

38 Anna Chybisova & Angelika Svyatash

• Brand: Maison d’AngelAnn

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2014

Nationality: Ukrainian; Georgian

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Chybisova and Svyatash are the founders of Maison d’AngelAnn, a luxury fashion brand. Chybisova serves as the creative director of the brand, while Svytash is the CEO. The brand had over 270,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023. It is sold in over 10 countries and has been worn by celebrities such as Sofia Nikitchuk, Eliane Khawand, Victoria Bonya, and Anna Kanyuk. In March 2023, Maison d’AngelAnn presented its collection in Paris for the first time.

40 Mashael Al Faris

• Brand: MASHAEL AL FARIS

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2010

Nationality: Saudi Headquarters: Saudi Arabia

MASHAEL AL FARIS designs have been spotted on celebrities, including Ajwa Aljoudi, Sara Sampao, Yara Alnamla, Nojoud Alrumaihi, Farida Khelfa, Anna Dello Russo, and Mahlagha Jaberi.

41 Nour Azazy

• Brand: Nazazy

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2016

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

Azazy started her fashion career in 2016. Her designs have been worn by celebrities such as Nelly Karim, Hend Sabry, Carmen Soliman, and Yousra. Her brand had over 253,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

42 Sandy Nour

• Brand: SANDY NOUR

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2017

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: U.A.E. and Lebanon

Nour launched her atelier and sample room in Beirut. Her bridal and eveningwear collections have been featured in major boutiques and retailers around Spain, Italy, France, the U.K., Bahrain, the U.A.E., Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, and the U.S. Celebrities including Cyrine Abdelnour, Neha Dhupia, Carmen Bsaibes, Dima Sadek, and Jessica Kahawaty have been spotted wearing her designs. The brand had over 105,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023.

43 Maha Morley-Kirk

• Brand: Fifteen Make Up & Beauty

(Sub-brands: Pinky Goat & Eyecha)

Category: Beauty

Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Lebanese

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Fifteen Make Up & Beauty has two eyelash sub-brands: Pinky Goat and Eyecha. Celebrities including Leona Lewis, Maya Ahmad, and Gina Ghandour have used the vegan Pinky Goat eyelashes. In 2022, Fifteen Make Up & Beauty collaborated with European retailers Rossmann and Kruidvat. Pinky Goat is currently available in over 20 countries and more than 2,500 premium and fast-beauty stores. Eyecha is a recycled lash brand.

44 May Orfy

• Brand: MAYKA

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2019

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: U.A.E.

MAYKA is a contemporary womenswear brand with over 104,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023. MAYKA has been worn by celebrities, including Dana Hourani, Tamara Farra, Hend Sabri, and Maram Zbaeda Maalouf. The brand’s debut collection was inspired by Orfy’s relationship with her identical twin sister, with each of the 20 designs named after the word “sister” in a different language.

45 Arwa Alammari

• Brand: ArAm

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Saudi Headquarters: Saudi Arabia

Alammari’s collections are seasonless and created to minimize fabric waste. The clothes are created in a limited range, and customers can order custom pieces. Alammari has also worked as a consultant and creative director for Expo 2020 Dubai, the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the Saudi Fashion Commission, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, The Saudi Cup, the General Entertainment Authority, MBC, and the Red Sea International Film Festival. She is also an ambassador for the Arab Fashion Council.

46 Carolina Chammas

• Brand: Aura Headpieces

Category: Jewelry Establishment: 2012

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: Lebanon

Chammas started her career in the fashion industry as a brand manager for global brands, including Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Elie Saab, and Marc Jacobs. She was also the fashion editor at ELLE Magazine, based in Dubai, before establishing her brand. In 2012, Chammas launched Aura Headpieces, which creates handmade head couture.

47 Karine Tawil

• Brand: MAISON KAROLINE LANG

Category: Fashion Establishment: 2012

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: Lebanon

Fashion designer Tawil founded her label MAISON KAROLINE LANG with a flagship store in Avenue Montaigne, Paris. Today, she works from her studio in Beirut, Lebanon. MAISON KAROLINE LANG had nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram as of June 2023. The brand has been worn by celebrities such as Nancy Ajram, Nour Arida, Razane Jammal, and Nadine Labaki.

49 Jennifer Chamandi

• Brand: JENNIFER CHAMANDI

Category: Footwear Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: U.K.

Chamandi incorporated her brand in 2015 but launched it in October 2016. She started her career as a senior banker and took courses in footwear at the London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins before launching her own brand. Chamandi’s shoes have been worn by celebrities, including Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Amal Clooney, and Queen Rania.

48 Kawthar Alhoraish

• Brand: KAF BY KAF

Category: Fashion

Establishment: 2019

Nationality: Saudi

Headquarters: Saudi Arabia

KAF BY KAF is sold in high-end department stores in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Bahrain. KAF BY KAF had over 46,500 followers on Instagram as of June 2023. Alhoriash’s designs have been worn by celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Nojoud Alrumaihi, and Maram Alharbi.

50 Yasmin Mansour

• Brand: YASMIN MANSOUR

Category: Accessories & Fashion

Establishment: 2014

Nationality: Egyptian

Headquarters: Qatar

Qatari Pret-a-Couture brand YASMIN MANSOUR began by creating unique made-to-order pieces. Mansour’s clothes are sourced sustainably. She uses upcycled materials and turns them into dresses and plans to infuse art into her designs.

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1 Rita Huang Zhen

• Brand: iMile

Category: Logistics

Establishment: 2017 Nationality: Chinese Headquarters: U.A.E. iMile provides logistics services to e-commerce players in China, GCC, Latin America, and Africa. Between 2018 and 2023, iMile has expanded its presence to 14 countries, with the most recent expansion being into Poland and Australia in 2023. Before founding iMile, she was chief technology officer at YVOLV, a joint venture between Alibaba and Meraas and held several roles at Huawei.

2 Mona Ataya, Leena Khalil

• Brand: Mumzworld

Category: E-commerce Establishment: 2011 Nationality: Palestinian; British Headquarters: U.A.E.

Ataya and Khalil’s Mumzworld is an e-commerce platform for all things related to mother and child. Following an acquisition by Saudibased Tamer Group in 2021, Ataya became the Group CEO for all digital assets of the Tamer Solutions Group. Mumzworld operates across the GCC and Levant. In 2022, it expanded into Jordan and Lebanon. Ataya is currently the Founder & CEO of Mumzworld, and she is an elected board member of the Dubai Digital board and a UNCTAD advisory board member for the e-trade for women initiative. Khalil is currently Mumzworld’s Partner and Chief Commercial Officer.

3 Derya Baran

• Brand: RedSea

Category: Agri-tech Establishment: 2018

Nationality: Turkish Headquarters: Saudi Arabia

Baran cofounded RedSea, which uses technology to advance commercial farming in hot climates globally whilst saving fresh water and energy. In April 2022, the company raised $18.5 million in a funding round co-led by Saudi Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures, Savola Group, KAUST Innovation Fund, and OlsonUbben. RedSea had raised a total of $36.5 million as of May 2023. The company is providing its technologies to sustainably feed guests at Saudi’s Red Sea Project and be a main supplier to the resort. Baran is also an associate professor in Material Science and Engineering at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

5 Ioanna Angelidaki

• Brand: InstaShop

Category: E-commerce

Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Greek

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Angelidaki cofounded the online marketplace InstaShop alongside CEO John Tsioris in 2015. It was acquired by Germanybased Delivery Hero in 2020 for $360 million. InstaShop has over a million downloads on Google Play. It delivers from local supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, bakeries, butcheries, pet shops, and others in the U.A.E., Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, and Greece. Angelidaki oversees the companies’ online marketing. She was previously the cofounder and CMO of Vound app.

4 Nour Sleiman

• Brand: Cartlow

Category: Recommerce Establishment: 2019

Nationality: Spanish Headquarters: U.A.E.

Sleiman cofounded Cartlow with Mohammed Sleiman. The mobile app provides customers with a simple way to buy clearance, open-box, and refurbished stock. In June 2022, Cartlow raised an $18 million series A round, led by Saudi investment firm the Alsulaiman Group, raising its total funding to $23 million. In May 2023, it partnered with Ecity Electronics, a multi-brand electronics retail group, to launch a sustainable device subscription program across 16 stores in the U.A.E. Before cofounding Cartlow, Sleiman worked as a media production quality controller at almentor. net.

6 Nour Al Hassan

• Brand: Tarjama

Category: Digital Language Solutions

Establishment: 2008

Nationality: Jordanian Headquarters: U.A.E.

Tarjama, meaning translation in Arabic, is a technology and language services provider. It offers services for 55 languages, including content and media services and has seven offices worldwide with 35,000 freelancers and 154 full-time employees as of 2022. It also acquired Screens in November 2022, one of the largest dubbing and subtitling companies in MENA. Al Hassan is also the Founder and Chairwoman of Ureed.com, a digital marketplace connecting global employers with over 55,000 certified freelancers. She manages the growth of her companies across eight markets and leads a team of over 300 people.

7 Melda Akin

• Brand: D14.AI

Category: AI Establishment: 2019

Nationality: Turkish Headquarters: U.A.E.

D14.AI delivers “optimization as a service” to businesses globally using AI. In February 2023, it announced the launch of Dhealth, an AI-driven training platform aimed at improving patient treatment and education. Akin launched Sirius Lab in March 2023, an AI-driven training and mentorship app for women. She also serves as a UN mentor and works with the Nama Women Advancement Organization.

8

Nadine Mezher

• Brand: Sarwa

Category: Fintech Establishment: 2017

Nationality: Lebanese Headquarters: U.A.E.

Sarwa is a financial platform and app founded by Nadine Mezher, Mark Chahwan, and Jad Sayegh. Through the platform, users can trade stocks and ETFs and buy and sell cryptocurrencies, as well as passively invest their money. Sarwa’s user base grew from 1,000 in 2018 to more than 180,000 in 2022. Since its inception, the company has raised $25 million through four funding rounds. It plans to raise a new funding round in 2024.

9 Fatma El Shenawy

• Brand: Khazna Tech

Category: Fintech Establishment: 2020

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

El Shenawy cofounded Khazna with Omar Saleh, Ahmed Wagueeh and Omar Salah in 2020. It aims to improve the financial well-being of underbanked Egyptians. In 2022, Khazna recorded more than a million transactions and over 158,000 active users. In March 2022, Khazna raised $38 million in equity and debt, taking its total funding to $50 million. El Shenawy was previously a senior associate with Arqaam Capital’s investment banking team.

10 Sophia Alj

• Brand: Chari

Category: E-commerce Establishment: 2020

Nationality: Moroccan Headquarters: Morocco

Alj cofounded Chari in 2020 alongside CEO Ismael Belkhayat and CSO Cyrille Jacques. Chari is an e-commerce platform for French-speaking African countries that allows users to benefit from financial services such as payments, micro-credit, and micro-insurance. Chari is available in Morocco, Tunisia, and Cote d’Ivoire. In 2022, it served over 20,000 customers and employed 187 people. As of May 2023, it had raised a total of $16.5 million in funding. Alj is also the cofounder of Mondentiste. ma and a co-managing partner at Wib.co. Before Chari, Alj worked at McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant across Africa for four years.

11 Ola Doudin

• Brand: BitOasis

Category: Crypto exchange Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Jordanian Headquarters: U.A.E.

Doudin cofounded BitOasis with Daniel Robenek and Tarek Kaylani in 2015. It is currently available in 15 countries across the GCC, and the Middle East and North Africa. BitOasis has processed more than $5 billion in trading volume and over 700,000 user signups since its inception. BitOasis became the first virtual assets trading platform to secure an Operational MVP License from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in 2023. Doudin previously worked for EY, Fadi Ghandour, and Aramex.

12 Yosra Badr

• Brand: Grinta

Category: Healthtech Establishment: 2021

Nationality: Egyptian Headquarters: Egypt

Badr cofounded Grinta in 2021. The managed marketplace is modernizing the pharmaceutical supply chain by empowering independent pharmacies across Africa through AI and machine learning. Grinta provides services in seven governorates across Egypt and launched in Tanzania in May 2023. Badr is also partner and CTO at Seha Healthcare. She is an angel investor in several tech startups, including Taager, Lucky, Bulx, Seha Healthcare, Volo, and Sylndr.

14 Yasmine Abdel Karim

• Brand: Yalla Fel Sekka (YFS) Category: Logistics

Establishment: 2019

Nationality: Egyptian-French

Headquarters: Egypt

YFS provides near-instant deliveries for groceries, food, e-commerce and endto-end customer (C2C). As of May 2023, it had completed five million deliveries in Egypt since its launch in March 2020. The company operates in six cities— Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Mansoura, Zagazig, and Tanta—delivering over 10,000 orders per day. YFS had raised a total of $10 million as of May 2023. Abdel Karim previously worked for Schlumberger in France.

13 Katharine Budd

• Brand: NOW Money

Category: Fintech Establishment: 2016

Nationality: British Headquarters: U.A.E.

Budd cofounded NOW Money with Ian Dillon in 2016. It was established to provide inclusive access to banking in the GCC by working with banks and corporate companies to provide payroll and financial services such as mobile banking, money transfer, and international mobile recharge. NOW Money had over 165,000 app downloads in 2022. Budd was previously a lead analyst at Aimia Inc.

15 Dina Sam’an

• Brand: CoinMENA

Category: Crypto exchange Establishment: 2019

Nationality: Jordanian Headquarters: Bahrain

CoinMENA is a crypto-asset provider for the Middle East, which is regulated and licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain. Investors can buy, sell, store, and receive digital assets and be able to deposit and withdraw in their local currency. The business has more than 800,000 app download on both Android and iOS. Sam’an was previously the regional clients’ operations director at BitOasis in Dubai.

16 Julie Barbier-Leblan

• Brand: Merit Incentives

Category: Loyalty, Incentivization and Gift Cards

Establishment: 2016

Nationality: French Headquarters: Saudi Arabia

Merit is a global engagement technology and solutions company, which helps businesses to increase their customer and employee engagement using cloudbased SaaS platforms, enterprise solutions, applications, and software. Merit’s merchant network comprises more than 5,500 brands across over 150 countries. These include more than 800 retailers and merchants in the GCC alone.

Barbier-Leblan was previously a solicitor, and currently she serves as CEO and founder of MyList, and CEO of Gifti Global. Both companies are now part of Merit.

17

Padmini Gupta

• Brand: Xare

Category: Fintech Establishment: 2021

Nationality: American Headquarters: U.A.E.

Gupta founded Xare with Milind Singh and Mandeep Singh. Xare is a Fintech app that allows users to share their credit or debit cards with anyone, anywhere, instantly. The app has more than three million users across over 180 countries and recorded transactions worth over $2 billion in 2022. In January 2023, Xare acquired Bengalurubased “Rive” for an undisclosed amount to further build and enable UPI transactions on its app. Gupta is also a mentor and advisor to several startups and supports women entrepreneurs through her involvement with the Dubai Business Women Council and the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), among others. She also cofounded Rise in 2016.

18 Soumia Benturquia

• Brand: FODEL

Category: Logistics Establishment: 2017

Nationality: French-Algerian

Headquarters: U.A.E. & Saudi Arabia

FODEL offers a network of over 3,000 pick-up and drop-off parcel locations as an alternative to home delivery. It operates in the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman and plans to launch in Egypt. The company’s clients include Amazon, DHL, Chalhoub Group, and Landmark Group. It had raised over $8 million as of May 2023, with investors such as Saudi Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures, Dubai Cultiv8 Holdings Limited (DCHL), and ArabInvest. Benturquia previously worked at Hewlett-Packard in France.

19 Eman Hylooz

• Brand: Abjjad

Category: E-books & Digital Publishing

Establishment: 2012

Nationality: Jordanian

Headquarters: Jordan

Abjjad is a subscription-based Arabic digital reading platform with a library of over 20,000 Arabic books and novels and over two million downloads on Google Play and the App Store. The platform has a community of over 3.5 million readers. Before establishing Abjjad, Hylooz worked as a senior II in marketing & knowledge management at KPMG.

20 Amira Sajwani

• Brand: PRYPCO

Category: Proptech

Establishment: 2022

Nationality: Emirati

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Sajwani is the founder and CEO of PRYPCO, which offers Rent Now Pay Later (RNPL) services that allow tenants to pay their rent in installments, as well as mortgage services and fractional ownership of real estate. Sajwani is also the managing director of sales and development at DAMAC Properties.