I always thought I understood what it meant when people said "representation matters" but I really didn't know what I was missing until I challenged myself to put together a list of successful female influencers from the Middle East.
What I found was a group of brilliant young women who work and inspire a whole new world. Having someone who looks like you to look up to or even just be inspired by, someone who looks like you but lives a completely different reality, makes all the difference.
This list is like seeing 20 versions of me and realising what people like me are able to achieve. From the first woman to swim the Thames river to the Arab Kendall and Kylie Jenner, click ahead to meet our favourite Middle Eastern and North African influencers.
The 25-year old Dubai native has already been named one of the "100 Most Powerful Arabs Under 40 " by Arabian Business. She is known for her flawless style – her wardrobe and her brows are major goals – and her openness on how to cope being a young, ambitious woman in the Middle Eastern media. AlFalasi currently has 2.3 million Instagram followers and almost 500k on Youtube. And a hit radio show.
Photo: Taim AlFalasi.
Basically the Saudi version of Kendall & Kylie, these two Medina-natives moved to London almost 13 years ago and have been fascinated by fashion ever since. Their Instagram and their blog, The Abduls, take you into their closet and around the world on fashion shoots and runways. The two are also the founders of Coded Nation, "a multi-brand e-commerce boutique where the sisters spotlight emerging designers and up-and-coming brands." It's definitely not something for everyone but, as Thana puts it in an interview with Vogue Arabia, "it's everything to someone."
Poto: The Abduls.
Lari is the first Saudi figure skater to compete internationally after having won several national championships. She is also part of Nike's Middle East ad and the brand's first Pro Hijab campaign that has recently sparked controversy.
Photo: Zahra Lari.
Najla Kaddour is one of the most successful makeup artists in the Middle East. While blogging and sharing makeup tutorials, she has also established herself as the go-to person in the Arab world for stars like, oh, JLo.
Photo: Najla Kaddour.
"Clothes are best served with a side of intellect," it says on her blog, Desert Mannequin. And Anum Bashir actually makes an effort to follow through on that. The Qatari art and fashion consultant has been featured in some of the biggest local fashion magazines, such as Harper's Bazaar Arabia, but has even managed to make appearances in the German weekly, ZEITmagazin, and Vogue US. While she's definitely an expert on style and design, she makes a point of translating to the Western world that there is not one singular image of "the oppressed Middle Eastern woman" but that they, in fact, are more independent, fearless and fierce than you might think.
Photo: Desert Mannequin.
Dina Tokio is a poster child of the self-made millennial woman: Born in Cairo to a British mom and an Egyptian dad, she is now UK-based and has evolved to become a style icon, a successful youtuber and instagrammer, a proud representative of modest fashion, a mother and a wife. Scrolling down her insta feed, you'll probably wish she were your BFF, or that she'd at least give you a much-needed spring makeover. But alas, Dina has already made plans with gran. (Good for her.)
Photo: Dina Tokio.
Yalda Golsharifi is a film school graduate-turned-entrepreneur and a part-time lifestyle editor for the Kuwait Times. She is currently the face of L'Oreal's Middle East campaign while also running her own beauty salon and an online fashion store.
Photo: Yalda Golsharifi.
Hasan is a UAE-born fashion designer and blogger. On her blog, The Fierce Diaries, she gives beauty, travel and just plain awesome lifestyle advice.
In 2015, Hasan launched her first shoe collection. "When I started working on the design of the shoes, I really wanted to bring back the ‘20s. The women from that era were simply fabulous," she explained in an interview with Vogue, citing the golden era as a main source of inspiration. "Their style was a mix of masculine and feminine and the ‘20s also made a significant mark on the fashion industry; hemlines were cut above the ankle and women paid more attention to wearing shoes that they could show off."
Photo: Nadya Hasan.
Al-Khatahtbeh is a published author, a writer and an editor, she has her own Youtube channel and she's an outspoken activist. She is the founder and editor of Muslim Girl, a media platform that shows life in the US through the eyes of young Muslim women. Muslim Girl, together with Getty, just launched the first stock photo collection of Muslim girls and women. Representation of Muslim women in the media has mostly been very stereotypical, and doesn't "really capture the spectrum of Muslim women," Al-Khatahtbeh told Refinery29. "There are women of different skin colors and body types, women who choose to veil and women who choose not to."
Photo: Amani Al-Khatahtbeh.
This Kuwaiti-American is a true beauty and fashion pro, collaborating with other influencers, such as British-Egpytian Dina Tokio, or platforms like Net-a-porter. Ascia and her husband, Ahmad, also have a joint blog, The Hybrids, where they talk about common causes and topics as well as individual ideas.
Photo: Ascia Akf.
No list of Middle Eastern influencers would be complete without Huda Kattan. This makeup artist and beauty entrepreneur has it all: her own line of makeup and beauty products, a beauty closet that is to die for, and an easy 18 million followers on Instagram and 1.7 million on Youtube.
Photo: Huda Kattan.
A North Carolina-native, Goodson grew up in Dubai and truly shows what it means to be a citizen of the world. She is also co-founder of the influential Instagram account Hijab Fashion that gives inspiration and styling advice for all women following the Hijab. Goodson is probably one of the coolest kids on the modest fashion block right now. On her personal blog, Feeeya.com, and her Instagram account, you can follow along on whatever adventures she may take you, from her photo shoot for Vogue Arabia to the Dubai World Cup.
Photo: Saufeeya Goodson.
Princess Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz was born in California but now lives in Dubai most of the time. The 42-year old royal (yup, she's a real princess) is the Editor-in-Chief of newly launched Vogue Arabia but has been a familiar face in the fashion scene for quite some time. I personally admire her because she simply does what she does and in doing so, she tears down walls of prejudices and stereotypes about what a woman from the Middle East is oftentimes portrayed to be or look like. Abdulaziz is a child of the East and the West, two worlds that some people still consider as clashing – until she proves them wrong by making it look effortless and natural.
Photo: Dina Litovsky.
Mariam Binladen has set a world record: she was the first woman, and third person overall, to swim the entire Thames river. The Saudi dentist did this, along with an accompanying documentary, I Am Mariam Binladen, to raise awareness for the medical needs of Syrian refugees. She has been working with other doctors to help those who had to flee their home country – and she wants you to notice.
Photo: Mariam Saleh Binladen.
Only last year, Halima Aden made history by being the first woman to compete in a beauty pageant sporting a hijab and wearing a burkini. She then went on to become the first hijabi on a major runway during NYFW 2017, walking for Kanye West's fifth Yeezy collection, and has been slaying ever since – which is also why she is the exception to my rule. Originally hailing from Somalia, Aden spent the first six years of her childhood in a Kenyan refugee camp before moving to the US. She is a woman who knows what it means to hustle and to prove mainstream expectations wrong – which is something that a lot of women from Northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula can relate to.
Photo: Halima Aden.
Al Bayed was born in Libanon but is currently based in Saudi Arabia. She is part of a movement of young women who have turned to the internet to speak up against oppression of and clichés about Middle Eastern women. In her videos, the 21-year old uses comedy to reflect and shed a light on topics small and big, from relationship advice to critical subjects in Saudi society. With more than 37 million views on Youtube and 3.8 million followers on Instagram, we're guessing she's being heard.
Photo: Darin Al Bayed.
This New York born-and-raised half-Palestinian, half-Puerto Rican is goals on so many levels. Whether she's working out or roaming the streets of the NYC, from ball gown to hoodies and sweatpants, Alia's style is always on point. She is also part of a generation that transcends any differences and displays love and support for other women so naturally that empowering each other becomes as much a daily routine as your morning cup of coffee.
Photo: Maria Alia.
Tara Emad has been acting ever since high school. She actually chose acting over a studying biotechnology or psychology at American University of Cairo. However, she is still taking online psychology classes on the side and plans to re-enter university to get a degree. For now, online is serving her just fine because, she says, "it’s not about school and university, it’s about the entire process that’s called life; you learn every day."
Until her breakthrough in psychology, this 24-year old will have enough to do: she has already founded a charity that helps people in need in and around Cairo. In her free time, Emad is passionate painter and produces her own organic lip balm.
Photo: Tara Emad.
Hammam was born in the Netherlands to a Moroccan mother and an Egyptian father. Having worked for haute couture from de la Renta and Dior to Chanel and Prada, she is one of the most in-demand models these days. Hammam is open about her religion as well as about her body and does not shy back from talking about it.
Photo: Imaan Hammam.
20-year old Jamila Awad is an actress and an activist. In the Egyptian TV show Taht Al Saytara, Awad plays 16-year old Hania, a rebellious young woman, who's falling victim to drug abuse. Awad is proud to be a trailblazer and to raise awareness about issues that have been tabooed for far too long but have always been around: When teenagers, or people at any age, don’t belong to the family, they’ll belong somewhere else by doing a common activity," she says in an interview with WhatWomenWant Mag, and sometimes that'll even be narcotics. "I think there should be more awareness about the way parents should deal with their children and the way innocent curiosity should be dealt with."
Photo: Jamila Awad.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Lady Gaga's Latest Make-Under Proves She's Not Done Transforming Yet
Kate Middleton's Haircut Proves A Subtle Trim Can Make A Huge Difference