This isn't your average list of eligible bachelors or richest people in the world. The Forbes Arab 30 Under 30 is all about entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, scientists, intellectuals, and celebrities working in a diverse range of fields and industries.
Looking at the first ever list focusing on young people from the region from the brand, we're happy to see that the girls are representing, with eight people on the lost being women.
It seems it's the year of female empowerment and these women symbolize that. Their fame comes from their passion and innovation; not from social media gimmicks or looks, their bodies or their money. It comes from their talent and hard work and they're not even 30.
Five of these eight women are from Emirati descent, and yet that's not the common denominator between them. The similarities these women share is in the ways they're transforming the culture of doing business on a global scale and pushing the envelope when it comes to innovation and creativity.
The UAE's very own Minister of Youth, Shamma bint Suhail bin Faris Al Mazru is one of these remarkable ladies to make the cut. Not only is she the youngest person to hold a ministerial position worldwide, she's also sharp as a whip. She holds a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, where she was also a Rhodes Scholar, and previously worked at the U.A.E Mission to the United Nations as a public policy analyst. Oh, and she's only 23.
Futtaim Al Falasi is another Emirati on the list. Known as Taim on social media, this online media personality with 2.4 million followers was made famous thanks to her online channel, the Taim Show. In it, she breaks the stereotype that only men can be funny. Her show is pretty damn hilarious. And relevant. Taim not only pulls pranks, but she also discusses social norms in her culture and the progression of it in recent years. She entertains her audience with humorous society stories but has also tackled serious issues like the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis.
Aside from her internet popularity, Taim is a pretty savvy businesswoman. She manages a UAE-based food and beverage digital marketing company called Taim Alfalasi Network (TAN), and runs local eateries, CatchXBurger and CHICBAE. Just listing this 26-year-old's achievements is exhausting.
All this just proves one thing; never underestimate the power of a passionate woman with a point to make. The result is changing the world.
You can check out the full list here:
- Karim Adduchi, 29, Founder, Karim Adduchi
- Talin Hazbar, 29, Artist
- Ali Mohammed, 23, Founder, VOUND Technologies
- Mostafa Kandil, Mohamoud Nouh, Ahmed Saba, 25, 25, 25, Co-founders, Swvl
- Charif Hamidi, 28, Founder, Education 4.0 (Ed4.0)
- Maher Damak, Karim Khalil, 27, 27, Co-founders, Infinite Cooling
- Nicolas Zaatar, 24, Co-founder and CTO, NAR
- Futtaim Al Falasi, 26, Emirati RJ and Youtuber, Taim Show
- Alia Shawkat, 28, Actor
- Hussein Bazaza, 27, Designer, Hussein Bazaza
- Mark Chahwan, Jad Sayegh, 26, 26, Co-founders, Sarwa
- Amal Almari, 27, Co-founder, Salt
- Moufeed Kadoura, 25, Co-founder, ExVivo Labs
- Omar Abudayeh, 27, M.D.-Ph.D. candidate, Broad Institute, Harvard-MIT
- Jawad Fares, 26, Medical Doctor and Researcher
- Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, 28, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence
- Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, 23, Minister of Youth
- Nour Ahmadein, 28, Business Development Manager, Uber Egypt
- Khaled Khatib, 21, Cinematographer, The White Helmets
- Mostafa Amin, Mohamed Khairat, 29,25, Co-founders, Egyptian Streets
- Ray Darghan, 27, Co-founder, STEP Group
- Balqees, 29, Singer
- Mohammed Assaf, 28, Singer
- Rami Helali, 29, Co-founder and CEO, Kotn
- Tarek Muller, 29, Co-founder, ABOUT YOU
- Eve Tamraz Najjar, 28, Founder, Sensio AIR
- Haytham Assem, 29, Chief Scientist, IBM Ireland
- Mostafa Hemdan, 26, Founder, Recyclobekia
- Mohamed Salah, 25, Footballer, Egypt National Team, Liverpool
- Elissa Freiha, 27, Co-founder, Womena