Princess Noura to Karen Wazen: Arab names added to Business of Fashion 500 list

The annual round-up identifies the international movers and shakers of the industry

Karen Wazen, known for her eponymous eyewear brand, started as a blogger in 2016. Photo: Karen Wazen Eyewear

A Saudi princess, blogger-turned-businesswoman and chief executive of some of the UAE's best-known malls are some of the regional names added to Business of Fashion's annual list of industry leaders.

Here, The National rounds up the Arab figures on the BoF 500.

Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud

Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud is a pivotal figure within Saudi Arabia's fashion industry, having founded Riyadh Fashion Week in 2018 and established the Fashion Commission at the Ministry of Culture, which she joined in 2019. She was part of the team behind the commission’s flagship projects, including the Fashion Futures annual conference, the digital platform and the Saudi 100 mentorship programme.

Ahmed Galal Ismail

Ahmed Galal Ismail is the chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, which owns the likes of Mall of the Emirates and City Centre malls, as well as the Carrefour supermarket chain across the Middle East. The company's 29 malls have a leasable area of more than one million square metres.

Before taking the reins last January, he handled the communities and project management operations across Majid Al Futtaim hotels and malls; was chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim Ventures; and vice president of strategy for Majid Al Futtaim Holding.

Haleh Nia

Haleh Nia launched the Middle East's first digital magazine, Savoir Flair, in 2009 aged 24, making her the youngest publisher and editor-in-chief in the region. An early pioneer of the new format – along with fellow early adopter and beauty mogul Huda Kattan – Nia helped map out the region's digital landscape when she launched her English language online magazine and followed with an Arabic version in 2016, Savoir Flair Al Arabiya.

In 2020 Nia unveiled a coffee-table book dedicated to everything the magazine had achieved, called Savoir Flair – SFX: The little magazine that could (and did).

Karen Wazen

Having started with a personal, fashion and lifestyle blog in 2016, Wazen was able to build on her following and launched her eponymous eyewear brand in 2018. Today, with more than eight million followers on social media, Wazen is one of the most influential fashion figures in the region.

Juan Costa Paz and Nordine Benotmane

This French-Algerian duo are behind Convoy. Launched in Paris in 2012, the creative agency has amassed a client list including Vogue, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Balmain, Dior Homme and Miu Miu, which have looked to the duo to create dynamic fashion moments. Case in point, the Vogue World event ahead of the Paris Olympics showcased different eras of fashion history with live dancers plus Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner on horseback.

Lyas

As the fashion correspondent for Interview magazine and an independent content creator, Lyas – who is French with Algerian heritage – has crafted a unique voice on social media with a relaxed, conversational style interspersed with sharp reviews. Able to place himself at the heart of many fashion events, Lyas the persona is as influential as Lyas the writer.

Tamara Abu Khadra

Tamara Abu Khadra, the founder and chief executive of Homegrown Market, launched Jeddah's first concept store in 2014 to help open up the Saudi market to regional designers. Stocking small labels from across the Middle East and North Africa, Abu Khadra often acts as a mentor and distributor for emerging brands. Having started with one store, Homegrown Market now has five locations across the kingdom, including one in AlUla.