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The Women Behind the Regional Businesses Worth Watching
Across the Middle East and beyond, a new generation of women founders is reshaping what modern entrepreneurship looks like. They are building brands rooted in heritage yet designed for the future, blending creativity with strategic vision, and proving that leadership today is as much about purpose as it is about profit.
From fine jewellery ateliers to wellness spaces, design studios, and conscious fashion labels, these women are not simply launching businesses. They are creating ecosystems, communities, and cultural narratives that extend far beyond the products themselves.
Here are some of the founders redefining what it means to lead in the region today.
Reimagining Modern Jewelry
Jewellery remains one of the most powerful forms of personal expression in the region, and several women are pushing the category forward with fresh perspectives.
Based in Amman, Ghadeer Taher and Joumana Jallad are the creative minds behind STONE Fine Jewelry, a brand that champions understated luxury and timeless design. With backgrounds in finance and political journalism, the duo brings both artistic sensibility and strategic insight to their work. Over the past decade, they have reinterpreted classic jewellery forms through fluid silhouettes and refined craftsmanship, earning the trust of collectors across the region.
Similarly rooted in heritage is Mariyeh Ghelichkhani - For Ghelichkhani, jewellery has always been part of life. Growing up in her father’s gemstone workshop, she developed an early fascination with craftsmanship and design. Her multicultural life between cities such as Tehran, Dubai and London continues to influence her work today, resulting in pieces that reflect resilience, spirituality and emotional depth.
Few designers command the global recognition of Farah Khan. With more than three decades of experience in the world of fine jewelry, she has built a brand synonymous with glamour, craftsmanship and bold design. Her creations are instantly recognizable for their dramatic scale, intricate detailing and fearless use of color.
Farah’s creative process draws from a wide range of inspirations: architecture, travel, nature, geometry and the hidden narratives embedded in the places she visits. Each collection reflects this layered perspective, combining artistic imagination with technical mastery. Her work has been worn by some of the world’s most recognizable figures, including Beyoncé, Serena Williams, and prominent personalities across both Hollywood and Bollywood.
Yet beyond celebrity appeal, what defines Farah Khan’s legacy is her ability to transform jewellery into wearable art; pieces that feel powerful, expressive and unapologetically luxurious.
As the creative director of Samra, Katia Abou Samra represents the evolution of a family legacy into a modern global brand. Raised within the jewellery world, her passion for gemstones and craftsmanship developed naturally. But Katia’s approach extends far beyond tradition. With training in marketing and advertising, diamond grading and jewellery design at GIA, she brings both creative vision and strategic thinking to the brand.
Under her leadership, Samra has expanded its identity through storytelling, collaborations and contemporary design that appeals to a new generation of collectors. Katia is also deeply committed to mentorship and empowerment. Through her Dream Big with Samra initiative, she supports emerging talent and encourages young creatives to pursue ambitious careers within the industry.
For Katia, jewellery is not only about beauty; it is about confidence, identity and purpose.
Born into a family of fifth-generation jewellers, Aashna Sanghvi grew up surrounded by the traditions of natural diamond craftsmanship. Yet rather than simply continuing the family path, she chose to challenge it. With Kayaa Jewels, Aashna became the first in her lineage to embrace lab-grown diamonds, bringing a progressive perspective to a historically traditional industry.
Her vision was to bridge the gap between high jewellery reserved for special occasions and everyday accessories. Kayaa designs are versatile, customizable and wearable pieces designed to integrate seamlessly into modern life.For Aashna, the future of luxury lies in accessibility, individuality and sustainability, where jewelry becomes a daily expression rather than a rare indulgence.
Before becoming a jewellery designer, Lana Al Kamal trained as an architect, a background that continues to shape her design philosophy today. Her pieces reflect architectural thinking: precise lines, structural balance and a deep understanding of proportion.
After studying jewellery design and gemology through GIA and L’Ecole School of Jewelry Arts, she launched her eponymous brand in 2018. Crafted in the UAE, Lana’s collections merge 18-karat gold and diamonds with sculptural design, resulting in jewellery that feels both structured and delicate. Her work reflects a refined femininity grounded in craftsmanship and symbolism jewellery that feels quietly powerful rather than overtly extravagant.
For Sanah Khurana, jewellery has always been tied to memory. Growing up in India surrounded by heirloom pieces rich in family history, she noticed something curious: many of these meaningful jewels remained locked away, rarely worn in modern life.
With Tripat, she set out to change that.Her brand bridges heritage and contemporary wearability, creating jewellery that carries the emotional depth of inheritance while fitting effortlessly into daily routines. Sanah blends creative instinct with sharp commercial awareness, ensuring her designs remain both soulful and practical. The result is jewellery meant to be lived in pieces that accompany life’s everyday moments as much as its celebrations.
Designing Spaces and Experiences
Beyond jewellery, women are also redefining design and lifestyle businesses across the region.
Interior designer Sally Negm approaches design with a rare dual perspective; one shaped by engineering precision and architectural creativity. As co-founder and creative director of Peristylia, she leads the studio’s design philosophy with clarity and intention.
Her work centers on human-focused luxury, creating spaces where aesthetic beauty and functionality coexist seamlessly. Rather than imposing style, Sally’s approach begins with understanding how people experience a space; how they move, interact and feel within it. The result is interiors that feel deeply personal, timeless and emotionally resonant.
Meanwhile in Dubai, Tinaz Bodhanwala, founder of MINIAAR, is shaping a new vision for ethical fashion. When Tinaz Bodhanwala founded the brand in 2017, her vision was clear: luxury fashion could be both elegant and ethical.
Her collections are known for their clean silhouettes, modular construction and architectural lines, creating garments that feel modern yet timeless. But beyond aesthetics, Tinaz places strong emphasis on social responsibility and inclusivity, ensuring the brand reflects values as much as design.
Through MINIAAR, she continues to challenge the notion that sustainability and high fashion cannot coexist, proving that conscious luxury is not only possible, but increasingly essential.
Building Communities Through Wellness and Beauty
Entrepreneurship today is increasingly about community, and several women founders are creating brands that extend beyond products into shared experiences.
In Abu Dhabi, Meerah Al Matrooshi and Alia Al Mazrouei have transformed the concept of boutique fitness with The Burn Room. Blending high-performance Lagree training with professional red-light therapy, their studio merges strength training with advanced recovery technology.
For Meerah, a passionate fitness professional, the goal was to create more than a workout environment; it was about building a space for resilience and intentional living. Alia, an experienced entrepreneur with multiple successful ventures, brings strategic leadership and mentorship to the business.
Together they have built a studio that feels both high-energy and deeply community-driven.
In the beauty space, Alia Al Marzooqi, founder of OLAH Haircare, turned a family tradition into a thriving natural beauty brand. Inspired by her grandmother’s haircare recipes, OLAH combines heritage knowledge with modern formulations, building a loyal community around clean, results-driven products.The story behind OLAH Haircare begins with a family ritual.
Inspired by her grandmother’s traditional haircare recipes, Alia Al Marzooqi transformed those ancestral practices into a modern beauty brand.
Launched in Dubai in 2023, OLAH combines natural ingredients with contemporary cosmetic science, offering formulations rooted in both heritage and performance. What began as a deeply personal tradition has grown into one of the UAE’s emerging clean beauty brands, championing self-care, confidence and authenticity.
A New Era of Female Entrepreneurship
Across the region, founders like Dujanah and Oloof Jarrar of House Janolo and Dounia Lahlou, founder of Zei, are continuing to push creative boundaries through contemporary jewellery that encourages individuality and interaction.
At House Janolo, sisters Dujanah and Oloof Jarrar bring a shared creative vision to contemporary jewellery. Their brand celebrates individuality and personal expression, offering pieces that feel modern while maintaining a refined, timeless sensibility. Each design reflects a careful balance between craftsmanship, material quality and artistic intention. Through House Janolo, the duo continues to explore how jewellery can become a powerful extension of identity.
With Zei, founder Dounia Lahlou explores jewellery as an interactive design language. Her work focuses on modular construction, movement and adaptability, encouraging wearers to engage with jewellery in new ways. Each piece is designed to evolve, shifting shape or configuration depending on how it is worn.
Through Zei, Dounia reimagines jewellery as something dynamic rather than static, where design becomes a dialogue between object and wearer. Together, these women represent something larger than individual success stories. They reflect a shift in how businesses are being built in the region; more collaborative, more intentional, and deeply connected to identity and culture.
Taken together, these founders represent something larger than individual success stories. They embody a shift in the regional business landscape: one where women are building companies that merge creativity, strategy and cultural depth.
Their brands span industries, but they share a common thread: intention.
They are creating businesses that do more than sell products. They shape communities, inspire new conversations and redefine what leadership looks like for the next generation.
The future of entrepreneurship in the region is not just innovative: it is undeniably female.
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