The Middle East and North Africa region continues to evolve as a hub for inspiring visionary female founders and entrepreneurs who have sparked a technological revolution in the region, and it is in this context that Forbes Middle East unveils its annual list of the “20 Women Who Create Middle Eastern Tech Brands” for 2023.
These entrepreneurs are not only technology powerhouses, but they’ve also pushed the boundaries of creativity, innovation and impact in the industries they operate in.
The 20 shortlisted founders were selected from a wide range of female entrepreneurs, due to the significant impact they have made through their exceptional achievements in attracting investors and consumers, and their success in securing funding rounds and generating revenue.
Forbes Middle East comprehensively assessed their entrepreneurial competencies, by measuring their ability to create impact in sectors as diverse as financial technology and trade. electronics, logistics, agricultural technology, healthcare technology, real estate technology, and more. They were ranked based on several criteria, including: the amount of funding raised, as well as creativity, innovation, impact, and revenue.
The UAE tops the list for the year as it is home to 11 companies in the classification, followed by Egypt with 3 companies, and Saudi Arabia with two companies. Jordanian women dominate the list with 4 institutions, followed by institutions from Egypt, Britain and Turkey, with two businesswomen each. It is noteworthy that 15 brands in the classification were co-founded by other founders.
4 of the women ranked in the top five run their companies in the UAE. For the second year in a row, Rita Huang Zhen, founder and CEO of iMile, topped the rankings. During the period from 2018 to 2023, the company expanded to 14 countries, most recently Poland and Australia in 2023. While Mona Ataya and Lina Khalil from (Mumzworld) came in second place, followed by Derya Baran, founding partner of (RedSea) in third place. ). The PRYPCO rental now and pay later platform, established by Amira Sajwani, is the latest technology company to be established among the existing companies.