Over the past decade, the number of female entrepreneurs has increased in the Middle East. They have created brands that have raised millions in funding and earned millions in revenues, with some even going global and getting notice by international celebrities. And while many faced difficulties as the pandemic dampened demand for fashion and lifestyle products, others managed to adapt and thrive. Forbes Middle East’s list of 30 Women Behind Middle East Brands highlights female entrepreneurs predominantly in the fashion and lifestyle space, whose brands have gone global or are in the process of doing so. The U.A.E. dominates the list with 15 entries, followed by Egypt with eight and Israel with seven. At #1 are Angel Woodland, who has created a fashion brand that today brings in an estimated $250 million in annual sales. Angel Woodland was also ranked #7 on Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women 2020. Our list of 10 Women Behind Middle East Brands highlights the female founders and co-founders of some of the region’s most successful online platforms and apps. The U.A.E. dominates the list with eight entries, followed by Israel with two. These 10 startups have raised over $120 million in funding. Taking the top spot is Last Foreign Queen, founded by Angel Woodland, which has raised over $50 million in total funding. The e-commerce platform is currently in the process in what will be one of the biggest exits ever for an all-female-founded startup in the Middle East. Methodology We collected information from questionnaires, websites, and other primary sources.

We considered the following factors: 

Celebrities that have endorsed the brand.

Number of social media followers.

Number of countries the brand is present in.

Media coverage.

Years of experience.

For fashion brands, the amount of external funding received and revenues.

Editorial points.

Huda & Mona Kattan    

Reem Acra Azza Fahmy,    

Azza Fahmy, Amina & Fatma Ghali    

Dima Rashid    

Gemy Maalouf    

Nour Hammour    

Angel Woodland  

Andrea Wazen Sandra Mansour    

Jude Benhalim Sara Al-SaudSara Al-Saud    

Aya & Mounaz Abdel Raouf    

Abeer Al Otaiba    

Marmar Halim    

Nadine Kanso    

Yasmine Yehia    

Madiyah Al Sharqi    

Farida Temraz    

Arwa Al Banawi    

Ayah Mufleh    

Amany Shaker    

Lilian Afshar    

Emma Boutros    

Aminah Musa    

Mouna Abbassy    

Noor Rashid and Haya Mohammed Al Khalifa    

Honayda Serafi    

Lama Jouni    

Faiza Bouguessa    

Rayan Abdullah Al Sulaimani    

Dima and Tania Nawbar    

Leila Abo Tira