The second day of Forbes Middle East Women’s Summit 2023, chaired by H.H. Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud, culminated with a magnificent gala dinner and prestigious recognition ceremony at the enchanting Bujairi Terrace in the heart of Historical Diriyah.
The gala dinner also hosted a recognition ceremony celebrating listees from Forbes Middle East’s women-focused lists: The Middle East’s 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2023, Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022, and Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands 2022.
Proudly, 3 of the 6 Egyptian listees whose success stories were celebrated during the ceremony are Top 50 Forum members: Cisco VP Middle East & Africa, Reem Asaad, Founder and CEO of MITCHA, Hilda Luca; and Executive Deputy Chairman at the National Bank of Egypt, Dalia El-Baz. This is along with the Egyptian Fashion Designer, Sara Onsi; the Founder & CEO of The Hair Addict, Doaa Gawish; and Founder & Creative Director of Marmar Halim, Marmar Halim.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the Most Influential Women in the Middle East, Reem Asaad is a highly successful business leader with over 25-year experience across industries including technology, financial services, and customer experience. I have a proven ability to adapt my leadership style in highly complex operating environments, knowing when to lead from the front and when to guide and support the broader team.
Prior to joining Cisco, I was the CEO at Raya Customer Experience, a business process outsourcing service provider based in Cairo with operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, servicing multi-national and Fortune 500 companies. During this time, I acquired the knowledge and experience to drive company growth, digital transformation, and regional market development.
Hilda Luca, Founder, and CEO of MITCHA, the leading online shopping platform, brings a new culture of fashion to Egypt with 20 years of experience in marketing and management. She is also one of the Egyptian sharks who supports the innovative entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt.
Dalia El Baz has over 28 years of risk and corporate banking experience. She joined NBE—the largest bank in Egypt in terms of assets—in 2008 as head of the operational risk management group. She became COO in December 2015 and took on her current role in September 2017, becoming the first woman to serve in this position. She oversees risk, banking operations, information technology, internal control, project management, business process optimization, debt recovery, and credit administration. She has been a member of the bank’s executive committee since 2016.
Sara Onsi was honored by Forbes Middle East as one of the most successful women behind a major Middle Eastern brand, is an Egyptian fashion designer, who has been making waves in the industry. Having participated in numerous fashion weeks, including Milan, London, Paris, and New York, her designs have consistently garnered attention and praise from critics, fashion enthusiasts, and industry insiders alike.
Doaa Gawish left her career in the supply chain industry in 2018 to establish the Hair Addict due to a lack of suitable products in the Egyptian market for curly and natural hair. The brand had a community of over 570,000 people on Facebook and Instagram as of April 2022. It currently has two branches in Egypt and the U.A.E., selling 17 products, and it plans to expand its portfolio to 30 products before the end of 2022.
Marmar Halim is a fashion designer originally from Egypt, Creative Director, and Founder of Marmar Halim Brand based in Dubai and London. Marmar graduated from Fashion Design Center Jointly with Istituto di Moda Burgo, Milan, Italy as Top of her Class in Design.
Elegance inspired by nature, influenced by natural colors and simplicity. Her first collection was inspired by nature from the lines and the colors, mixing the simplicity of Western lines and the glamour of Arab women; and launched “Posh Boutique” in Egypt.
Marmar has made her success through her presence and partnerships in so many High-end department stores in GCC such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Galeries Lafayette, Robinson’s, and Tryano.
In 2019, Marmar recently opened her showroom in Dubai Design District and as a part of the Brand expansion plan; Marmar launched her office in London. The Designer label of Marmar Halim incontestably yields and creates elite fashion blends that are flanked by a fusion of Eastern and Western Ready to Wear gowns with a chic and lavish flair.
The summit was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 21 to 23 May.
