30 WOMEN BEHIND MIDDLE EASTERN BRANDS 2022

Women in MENA are increasingly taking on leading roles within the region’s largest enterprises, but they are also establishing their own successful businesses in rising numbers, with operations in all sectors of the economy. Some of these businesses are garnering international attention, with some arguably shaping the sectors they perform in. Forbes Middle East’s list of 30 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands features brands across six countries in MENA. The U.A.E. is home to 13 of these successful businesses, followed by Egypt with eight and Lebanon with five. The list also represents 18 different nationalities, with Egyptians dominating the list with 11 entries, followed by Lebanese with four entries. Some of these brands are now international labels appearing at the world’s most anticipated events, such Rayan Al Sulaimani’s Atelier Zuhra, who dressed Paris Hilton at the 2022 Grammys. Huda Kattan was also recognized on Forbes’ list of America’s Self-Made Women 2021.

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1. Huda Kattan

Brand: Huda Beauty; WISHFUL

Category: Beauty

Establishment: 2013;2020

Nationality: Iraqi-American

Headquarters: U.A.E.

Kattan is the CEO of her namesake makeup brand Huda Beauty, which she first launched as a beauty blog in 2010. She worked with her sisters Mona and Alya to transform it into a cosmetic brand three years later when they started selling false eyelashes in Sephora. Today, Huda Beauty produces a range of products, including moisturizers, makeup, serums, and fragrances. The brand is used by celebrities such as Serena Williams, Lucy Hale, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Kattan was recognized as a top beauty influencer by Forbes in 2017, and as one of America’s Self-Made Women in 2021, with a net worth of $490 million as of April 8, 2021. In the same year, Kattan launched the GloWish line of makeup as a sub-brand of Huda Beauty.

2. Azza Fahmy, Amina and Fatma Ghali

Brand: Azza Fahmy Jewellery

Category: Jewelry

Establishment: 1969

Nationality: Egyptian

Headquarters: Egypt