Forbes Middle East Reveals Annual Ranking of Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022
Press release
The 30 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands represent 18 different nationalities, with Egyptians dominating with 11 entries, followed by Lebanese with four.
Highlights
Forbes Middle East has unveiled its fourth annual ranking of 50 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022, recognizing the women leading the region’s most successful brands.
Forbes Middle East has unveiled its fourth annual ranking of 50 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022, recognizing the women leading the region’s most successful brands. The full list reveals 30 female founders of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands, and 20 female founders of tech-based brands.
The 30 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands are running businesses across various categories, including accessories, baby care, beauty, fashion, footwear, jewelry, and perfumery. The list was constructed based on the brand’s celebrity endorsements, social media following, geographic presence, years of experience, and media coverage. For the fourth consecutive year, Huda Beauty cofounder Huda Kattan reigns in first place. In 2021, Forbes recognized the beauty mogul as one of America’s Self-Made Women, with a net worth of $490 million as of April 8, 2021. She is followed by Azza Fahmy, Amina, and Fatma Ghali, who are behind Azza Fahmy Jewellery. Mona Kattan of KAYALI, Rayan Al Sulaimani of Atelier Zuhra, and footwear designer Andrea Wazen round up the top five.
Of the 30 brands, 13 are headquartered in the U.A.E., followed by Egypt with eight and Lebanon with five. The ranking represents 18 different nationalities. Egyptians dominate the list with 11 entries, followed by Lebanese with four entries. Fashion is the most popular category with 13 listees, followed by beauty and jewelry with seven and five brands, respectively.
The 20 Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands were additionally evaluated on the amount of external funding they have received as well as revenues disclosed. Leading the pack is the cofounder of logistics firm iMile, Rita Huang Zhen. iMile secured $40 million in a Series A financing round in November 2021, bringing its total funding to $50 million since inception and making it the ninth most-funded startup in MENA in 2021. List veterans Mona Ataya and Leena Khalil of Mumzworld rank second. In a landmark exit, the e-commerce platform was acquired by Tamer Group in June 2021. Fintech powerhouses Nadine Mezher of Sarwa, Souqalmal’s Ambareen Musa, and Khatna’s Fatma El Shenawy make up the top five.
This year’s listees hail from 17 different nationalities working across 13 sectors. Jordanian founders reign with three entries, with Brits and Saudis close behind with two entrepreneurs each. Fintech is the most popular category with five entries, followed by logistics providers with three, and two each in e-commerce and crypto exchanges. The businesses are primarily based in the U.A.E., with 13 entries. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are each home to two companies.
Click here to view the complete 2022 ranking of the Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands.
Top 5 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022
1 | Huda Kattan
Brand: Huda Beauty; WISHFUL
Category: Beauty
Established: 2013; 2020
Nationality: Iraqi-American
HQ: U.A.E.
2 | Azza Fahmy, Amina & Fatma Ghali
Brand: Azza Fahmy Jewellery
Category: Jewelry
Established: 1969
Nationality: Egyptians
HQ: Egypt
3 | Mona Kattan
Brand: KAYALI; Huda Beauty
Category: Perfumes; Beauty
Established: 2018; 2013
Nationality: Iraqi-American
HQ: U.A.E.
4 | Rayan Al Sulaimani
Brand: Atelier Zuhra
Category: Fashion
Established: 2015
Nationality: Omani
HQ: U.A.E./Oman
5 | Andrea Wazen
Brand: Andrea Wazen
Category: Footwear
Established: 2013
Nationality: Lebanese
HQ: Lebanon
Top 5 Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands 2022
1 | Rita Huang Zhen
Brand: iMile Delivery Services
Category: Logistics
Established: 2017
Nationality: Chinese
HQ: U.A.E.
2 | Mona Ataya & Leena Khalil
Brand: Mumzworld
Category: E-Commerce
Established: 2011
Nationality: Palestinian; British
HQ: U.A.E.
3 | Nadine Mezher
Brand: Sarwa
Category: Fintech
Established: 2017
Nationality: Lebanese
HQ: U.A.E.
4 | Ambareen Musa
Brand: Souqalmal
Category: Fintech
Established: 2012
Nationality: Mauritian
HQ: U.A.E.
5 | Fatma El Shenawy
Brand: Khazna
Category: Fintech
Established: 2019
Nationality: Egyptian
HQ: Egypt
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Background Information
Forbes Middle East
Forbes Middle East has a license for copy rights and distribution rights in the MENA region from Forbes Media, U.S.A. Under the guidelines standardized amongst all Forbes titles, the magazine features analysis and expert reporting related to the finance and business world, as well as investment opportunities in the Arab region. Forbes Middle East puts together its lists based on the criterion of neutrality, authenticity, commitment to the methodology of scientific research, and the quality of standards set globally by Forbes through its extensive experience in this field.
Forbes Middle East also serves as a guide for businessmen and decision makers by providing them with information and statistics necessary for making the right decisions. Thus, the magazine becomes the guiding compass for investments in the region. Through its wide network of press correspondents the magazine also works toward covering all the economic fields and issues concerning the Arab region.
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