Key Takeaways
- Mumzworld, founded by Mona Ataya, is the Middle East’s largest online marketplace for mothers, babies, and children.
- Hayawiia, founded by Tahany Taher, offers clean, allergy-friendly food and natural beauty products across the UAE.
- Huda Beauty, founded by Huda Kattan, is one of the world’s best-known beauty brands.
- Malaak Mama and Baby Care, founded by Lily Kandalaft, supports expecting and new families across the UAE.
- The Botanist, founded by Ruby Giroux, makes sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to everyday household products.
The UAE has built a genuinely supportive environment for women in business, and it shows in the range of homegrown brands led by women that have grown into household names. Here are five worth knowing.
Table of Contents
1. Mumzworld by Mona Ataya
Mona Ataya co-founded Mumzworld in 2011 after struggling to find reliable products and advice for her own children, going on to build it into the Middle East’s largest online marketplace for mothers, babies, and children.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Tamer Group acquired a majority stake in the business, and Ataya continues to lead Mumzworld as co-founder and CEO, sitting on the board alongside co-founder Leena Khalil. The brand still ships across more than 20 countries in the region.
2. Hayawiia by Tahany Taher
Hayawiia is an Emirati-founded business offering clean, allergy-friendly food and natural beauty products across the UAE. Tahany Taher, a senior banking executive by day, co-founded the company with her husband Akram Oomer in 2021, after noticing how expensive dietary-restricted products had become during the pandemic.
The name comes from the Arabic term for health, vitality, and vigour, and the brand sources many of its products from small, female-owned suppliers across Asia.
3. Huda Beauty by Huda Kattan
Huda Beauty is one of the world’s best-known beauty brands, founded by Huda Kattan in 2013 after she struggled to find false eyelashes that met her own standard and started making her own.
In 2025, Kattan bought back full ownership of Huda Beauty from private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners, ending an eight-year partnership and making the brand 100% founder-owned once again. She now leads the company as founder and co-CEO alongside her husband, Christopher Goncalo.
4. Malaak by Lily Kandalaft
Malaak Mama and Baby Care supports expecting and new families across the UAE, from parental classes to professional maternity nurses and babysitters. Lily Kandalaft started the company after her own difficult adjustment to early motherhood, aiming to give other parents the training and support she wished she’d had.
5. The Botanist by Ruby Giroux
The Botanist makes sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to everyday household products, from dish soap to floor cleaners. Ruby Giroux started the company after struggling to find natural cleaning products she was happy with, developing her own instead, a small side project that grew into a full product line as friends and their networks began asking for it too.
Inspired by these founders? Starting a business in the UAE as a woman has real structural support behind it, from free zone perks to long-term investor visas.
We handle the setup process end to end, from your first license to ongoing visa and banking support. Contact us to start your own company formation journey, or run your numbers through our cost calculator first.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are all five businesses still fully owned by their founders?
Most are. Huda Beauty returned to 100% founder ownership in 2025, while Mumzworld’s founders remain co-CEO and board members following a 2021 majority stake acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Tamer Group.
2. What kind of licenses do these businesses typically need in the UAE?
It depends on the activity: e-commerce and retail brands like Mumzworld or Hayawiia typically need an e-commerce license, while service businesses like Malaak need a professional or service license. Our business activities list covers what’s available.
3. Does the UAE offer specific support for women entrepreneurs?
Yes, including initiatives like the Dubai Business Women’s Council, free zone packages aimed at first-time founders, and long-term investor visas that apply regardless of gender but particularly benefit women building multi-year ventures.
4. Can a woman own 100% of her business in a UAE free zone?
Yes. Free zones like ours offer 100% foreign ownership with no local sponsor required, regardless of the founder’s gender or nationality.
5. How do I start a business in the UAE as a first-time founder?
Start by choosing your activity and jurisdiction, then check your setup cost against our confirmed pricing. Our business setup guide walks through the full process.
