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What better way to celebrate Emirati Women’s Day on August 28 than getting to know of (and supporting) cool cafes, stores and clothing run by ladies of the UAE
Shreeja Ravindranathan - Staff Writer
There’s cause for celebration this Sunday besides free parking. It’s Emirati Women’s Day – the annual celebration of the great strides women of the UAE have made across walks of life. From earning a seat at the table in the corporate and political spheres, to breaking gender norms an cultural barriers to excel in fields such as sports, motor racing, filmmaking, fashion and technology, Emirati women have been shattering glass ceilings left, right and centre. The result? A plethora of Emirati Women-Owned Business are flourishing.
Yes. Emirati Women’s Day was launched in 2015 by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi, the Mother of the nation to honour women’s contributions to the UAE’s progress and to dispel stereotypes and misconceptions about women in the region and shine a spotlight on the rights and opportunities they enjoy. It’s celebrated every year on August 28.
Now that you’re up to speed on the importance of Emirati Women’s Day here are 15 Emirati Girl Bosses you can support.
Emirati dessert creator Maitha Alowais believes gluten-free vegan desserts don’t have to be bland and boring. The plant-based nutritionist and vegan baker inherited her grandma’s love for baking and her delicious recipes but digestive issues over the year drove her to find healthier variants of beloved treats. Now she shares those scrummy sugar-free bites with the world and teaches people about gut health.
Where: Shop here
For H.H Sheikha Sana Al Maktoum, living like a princess means stepping out of ivory towers and paving one’s own path to success. She did that by creating an eponymous fine jewellery line fit for a princess. The graceful pieces incorporate healing crystals and delicate feminine motifs like butterflies that are a tribute to Sheikha Sana’s grandmother. You can shop for them online.
Where: Shop here
This Dubai-based luxury handbag brand was founded by Fatima Al Otaiba and create timeless, classic clutches, totes, bucket bags and more that make for glamorous arm candy. Handcrafted from sumptuous exotic leathers, the brand that launched in 2020 has managed to survive Covid-19 and carve a niche for itself amongst the city’s fashionistas. With dreams of being to UAE what Chanel is to France, bag one of these now.
📍MSM Building 2, Office 215, Al Safa First, Sheikh Zayed Road
This clothing brand by Emirati-Danish designer Latifa Al Gurg has been making headlines since it first launched in 2014. The womenswear brand blends Emirati heritage and influences from Latifa’s travels to create travel-friendly attire that doesn’t compromise on trendiness. The label grabbed eyballs after the winning the competition to design and develop uniforms for Expo 2022 and dress up its staff and volunteers.
Where: Shop here
This wellness and pilates studio holds the honour of being the first pilates studio owned by an Emirati women. Founder Asma Hilal Lootah, is an avid sportswoman who has scaled peaks beyond entrepreneurial achievements in the healthcare industry – in 2009, she climbed Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. Besides Pilates, the centre offers an array of services and therapies such as Chiropractic bodywork, Homeopathy , Naturopathy, DNA testing, light therapy and more.
📍Jumeirah Beach Road, 53 B Street, Villa 21, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
The UAE’s only independent arthouse cinema theatre is one of the crowning glories of artsy Alserkal avenue. The brainchild of Butheina Kazim, Cinema Akil screens foreign films and movies that open audiences up to a world beyond mainstream Bollywood and Hollywood flicks. The venue frequently hosts festivals and community activations that bring film buffs of Dubai together.
Sheikha Eissa’s homegrown burger outlet’s delicious nosh has floored even H.H Sheikh Hamadan. The business that was a foodie’s secret and ran out of a home kitchen in Mirdiff is now has an ardent following on social media and long queues of hungry patrons waiting patiently for the burger brands monstrous fries, shakes and signature burgers. And to think it all started one evening when Sheikha Eissa flipped out a few burgers for her brother and his friends now spread its wings internationally to Riyadh.
📍Dar Wasal Mall – Al Wasl – Dubai
Dr. Lamees Hamdan’s natural skincare line shook up Dubai’s reputation as a beauty industry focused only on cosmetic treatments. Unable to find an organic skincare line that was safe but also powerfully anti-ageing, Dr. Lamees, who’s a medical doctor, decided to take matters into her own hands and create a pregnancy body oil that’s one of the brands best-sellers to date.
Where: Sephora stores and here
Powerful female friendships is the foundation to this concept store in City Walk. BFFs (and EMirati nationals) Hamda Abbas, Zainab Al Shaikh and Mariam Al Khan turned their forever bond into one of business with a unique store that stocks hand-picked collections of footwear, accessories, homeware, beauty products and clothing from around the world. It’s a space you can chill out in with your best friend.
📍6727+VC5 – Al Wasl, City Walk, Dubai
Ayesha Al Hashmi’s boutique chocolate shop is one of the city’s favourites for artisanal chocolates and desserts. The banker-turned-entrepreneur’s eatery is kown for its handmade truffles, chocolate drinks made from luxury French chocolate brand Valrhona. But their calling card to the world is the signature dessert called coco pod, a dramatic dry-ice-filled chocolate pod that’s cracked open by pouring molten chocolate over it.
📍 Nad Al Sheb 1st, Meydan, Dubai
Chef owner Amna Al Hashemi is a trailblazing figure in the UAE’s dining scene – she’s first female chef in the UAE to have launched her own restaurant. Mitts and Trays, which started off as a home bakery after Amna left her job in PR and trained at International Centre for Culinary Arts, now has three thriving branches across the city.
📍 Bluewaters, City Walk and Dubai Hill
This range of artisnal handmade soap made of botanical ingredients was a result of Hend Al Hashemi’s desire to provide a clean and healing bodycare range. Inspired by traditional Arabic medicine and hygiene rituals products are made from ingredients such as camel milk, olive oil, yoghurt, castor oil, aloe vera, honey, black seed oil, etc that boast medicinal properties. The line include everything you need for a spa-like bath time: soaps, body butter, oils, body butter, bath salts, scrubs.
Where: Shop here
Female F&B powerhouses Deem Albassam and Amal Al Marri, the same brains behind SALT, birthed this homegrown coffee concept. Sticking to their winning hyperlocal theme with Grind too, every cuppa served here is made form local beans that are micro-roasted daily. But the end results are more than just regular black coffees and cold brews. You’ll be sipping on innovative blends like cereal lattes and s’mores cup.
📍 Al Khawaneej Walk, Dubai
This Emirati-born interior design practice is led by Shafia Alkhyeli and has offices in both Dubai and Madrid. Trained in Madrid, Shafia brings her expertise of vintage Andalusian design and aesthetic to Dubai’s restaurants and homes.
📍Dubai Design District Building 4B – Office 405
This online fashionwear and lifestyle store is the creation of Emirati multidisciplinary artist Maisoon Al Saleh. Limited edition art is transformed into affordable, unique pieces of clothing for men and women. The brand’s focus on exclusivity ensures each design in a collection is limited to only one item per size. And to top that, collections are only dropped on the 25th of every month. Chances of twining with a stranger when you’re dressed in Paintly’s collection are slim-to-none.
Where: Shop here