In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re honing in on the Gen Z women in the Middle East that are doing their part to inspire other young women.
From trailblazing musicians to ground-breaking women in STEM, these young powerhouses prove that age, gender and culture have no bounds if you’ve got your heart set on your dreams.
Check out some inspirational Gen Z Arab women below!
Alia Al Mansoori
Who is she: Emirati trailblazer Alia is a molecular biologist and astronaut in the making.
Why she inspires us: A previous Cosmo ME cover star, Alia is proving to the world that young women have a place in scientific research. Her repertoire is beyond impressive – at just 15 years old, the young Emirati was awarded for her scientific space experiment (which was later launched in Florida, USA). She is also the brains behind Emirati Astronaut, which is a platform that allows for dialogue between aspiring astronauts and veterans of space flight–talk about innovative. Alia has also become the youngest person ever to be appointed Scientific Research Fellow at New York University Abu Dhabi. As she continues to reach for the stars (literally), she is also blazing a trail for young aspirational women behind her. As she says herself, “science and STEM is for everyone, even me, a young teenager who just graduated high school and for you, whoever you are, wherever you are and no matter how old you are”.
Maryam Maher (aka Mary Gaming)
Who is she: 17-year-old Bahraini professional gamer and the first GCC-based female gamer to join an *international* Esports team.
Why she inspires us: Mary Maher, AKA Mary Gaming, isn’t just dominating on the Valorant battlefield, she’s dominating the whole gaming scene. At only 16 years old the professional gamer joined renowned international E-Sports team, G2, and even went on to win the Valorant Champions 2022. Did we mention that the G2 Gozen team is the first-ever all-female Valorant team as well? Yah, they’re killing it. She’s the number one female Fortnite player in the region and the youngest MENA-based gamer to ever be signed by a professional gaming organisation, NASR ESports. To put it simply, she is (quite literally) redefining the game, and cementing a place for young Arab women in the industry.
Madiha Naz
Who is she: Madiha ‘Madi’ Naz is a professional esports player. She was captain of the first ever all-female Middle Eastern esports team and has represented MENA in international women’s tournaments.
Why she inspires us: Another gamer girl redefining the gaming landscape, Madi is leading the charge in female esport athlete achievements. In 2022, she was the first esports athlete to be nominated by the U.A.E. government for a golden visa. She was recently recognized in Forbes Middle Easts’s 30 under 30 list for her role in the esports industry.
Amna Al Qubaisi
Who is she: Amna Al Qubaisi is an Emirati racing driver, currently racing in F1 Academy for MP Motorsport.
Why she inspires us: In 2018, she became the first Middle Eastern woman to take part in a motorsport test program for Formula E after the Diriyah ePrix in Saudi Arabia. Last year, she was also the First female arab to win in F4. Fast foward to today, she’s just signed with Visa Cash App RB to join the F1 ACADEMY grid in 2024. Amna will run the team’s livery while competing for MP Motorsport. It seems there’s no slowing this powerhouse down anytime soon.
Noor Stars
Who is she: Born in 1997 in a refugee camp in Iraq, Noor Stars eventually went on to become one of the most influential social media stars in the Middle East. She first gained worldwide attention for being the first Arab content creator to reach 10 million subscribers on YouTube.
Why she inspires us: Previous Cosmo ME cover star Noor Stars continues to break the glass ceiling with her multitude of social media records. She was awarded at Cosmo ME‘s inaugural Arab Woman Awards Next Gen for her contribution to media, and she was named in Forbes’ 30 under 30. What can’t she do?! Her work ethic, expertise and sheer drive redefines what it means to be an influencer.
Aya Mouallem
Who is she: Lebanese-born Aya is a philanthropist, PhD student at Stanford University, tech tycoon, engineer and mentor.
Why she inspires us: Aside from studying for her PHD and spending her days giving back to her Lebanese community, this go-getting girl, born and bred in Beirut, also launched All Girls Code, a program that gives teenage girls the chance to take computer science courses and learn coding fundamentals. Mouallem has received numerous awards and has also been recognized by The New York Times as one of ten women transforming the landscape of leadership. Mouallem has also taught and guest lectured around the world with programs such as Code for Albania and Design for Bangladesh.
Andria Tayeh
Who is she: Trailblazing young Lebanese-Jordanian actress.
Why she inspires us: Andria Tayeh is an inspiration to all young women looking to get their start in the entertainment industry. She stunned everyone with her performance in the viral Arab show AlRawabi School for Girls’ first season in 2021, and since then we haven’t got enough of her. The 22-vear-old even won Cosmo ME’s entertainment accolade at our very own Arab Woman Awards in early 2022 (!!) She was also most recently the face of an adidas MENA Originals campaign. Talk about success at a young age! We’re obsessed!
Aysha AlObeidli (aka Chef Aysha)
Who is she: The youngest Emirati professional Chef, having won KidZania’s Minichef competition in 2018, Chopped (Arabic version) in 2021 and has also appeared on several cooking shows.
Why she inspires us: Her career sky-rocketed when she was only 13-years-old. She later progressed to work with the likes of M&S, Steve Harvey and even created an in-flight desert served on Etihad Airlines. She now studies at the International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA Dubai), and it seems she’s only just getting started.
Nour Ardakani
Who is she: Lebanese pop princess Nour Ardakani is a member of global pop group Now United.
Why she inspires us: Previous Cosmo ME cover star Nour Ardakani went from nutrition and business student at The American University of Beirut (AUB) to global pop sensation in *literally* 24 hours. Back in September 2020, Now United, the global pop group formed by Spice Girls and American Idol creator Simon Fuller, opened a global casting call to find their 16th member from the Middle East and North Africa. When she was cast as the first Arab member, teenagers from the Middle East could finally see in Nour someone whom they resemble rather, than one whom they wish they resembled. Represent!
Elyanna
Who is she: A woman who needs no introduction, Elyanna is a global pop star that is bringing Arab music to the mainstream.
Why she inspires us: Palestinian singer Elyanna broke new grounds when she became the first artist to perform a complete set at Coachella entirely in Arabic. As an artist, she wants to bring Arab music to the global stage, and help young Arab girls to feel confident in their skin and love their curves and curls.
Don’t forget to check out these International Women’s Day events in Dubai!