Meet the Female Founders Illuminating MENA’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

• The U.A.E. dominates with 20 entries, followed by Lebanon with 10 and Egypt with seven.
• Fashion brands represent 60% of the list.

Forbes Middle East has revealed its highly-anticipated fifth edition of the 50 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands list for 2023. This ranking unveils a captivating cohort of visionary women who are redefining the landscape for fashion, beauty, jewelry, accessories, footwear, and perfume. With unrivaled talent, unwavering determination, and an inspiring passion for their craft, many of these trailblazers have become icons in their fields, captivating audiences around the world.

The list showcases the fearless spirit and boundless creativity of these extraordinary women. Through an exhaustive evaluation process, Forbes Middle East chose these founders based on criteria such as impact, innovation, media exposure, celebrity endorsements, and scope.

Fashion brands dominate the list with 30 entries, followed by eight beauty brands and five jewelry brands. This year, the business titans hail from 21 different nationalities. Egyptian and Lebanese founders top the list with 14 entries each, followed by four Saudis. Most of the brands are based in the U.A.E. with 20 entries, followed by 10 Lebanon-based brands and seven based in Egypt. Forbes Middle East also included four female founders of Arab roots who have launched strong brands outside of the MENA region: three based in the U.K. and one based in the U.S.

Huda Kattan, Cofounder of Huda Beauty, with an estimated net worth of $400 million as of May 2023, according to Forbes, leads the cohort for the fifth consecutive year. Atelier Zuhra’s Rayan Al Sulaimani and designer Selma Benomar make up the top three. Egypt-based Azza Fahmy Jewellery is the oldest established brand on the list, having been established in 1969, with Hadia Ghaleb’s eponymous modest swimwear brand the youngest label, having opened in 2022.

Top 5 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2023

Click here for the complete ranking of the Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2023.