An entrepreneur, empath and your favourite reality star, Mona Kattan is the visionary behind her empire, Kayali, and Netflix’s megahit Dubai Bling star.
Today, she celebrates another major milestone in life, marking another year around the sun with her fabulous 40th birthday.
While she’s a firm favourite on our screens, she definitely isn’t new to the spotlight. With over 3.8 million Instagram followers, GRAZIA has all the details on the stunning “people-first” CEO.
Who is Mona Kattan?
Mona Kattan is an Iraqi-American entrepreneur who has become a global success in the beauty and fragrance industry. Born in Oklahoma in the USA to Iraqi parents in 1985, Mona moved to the UAE in 2003, completing her high school education at the Sharjah American International School. She then went on to study at the American University of Sharjah, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in finance. While she began her career in investment banking, we all know the beauty world came knocking…
Huda Beauty – The Billion Dollar Beauty Empire
In 2012, alongside her two sisters Huda and Alya Kattan, Mona co-founded the revolutionary juggernaut Huda Beauty. Huda had been running a successful beauty blog, which then turned into a sold-out faux lash line at Sephora, before sprouting into one of the fastest-growing beauty companies in the world. Mona, accompanied by Huda, sat at the number one spot on Forbes’ 40 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2021 List, and at number six on the 50 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2023. While entrepreneurial spirit runs in the family, Mona is a force of her own. Now, she is officially spearheading Kayali on her own terms.
Kayali – The Fragrance Empire
A self-proclaimed “perfume princess,” Mona is the founder of the fragrance brand Kayali. An ode to her Arab heritage, the perfumes centre around her Arab roots, from the oud scents to the jewel packaging. Her obsession with scent was documented in her reality series ‘Huda Boss’, as she walked us through her perfume closet and her creative process within fragrance creation. Showcasing that her entrepreneurial endeavours are simply extensions of her passions, Mona’s devotion to scent started far before the launch of Kayali. Earlier this year, Mona and Huda officially announced Kayali and Huda Beauty were “breaking up”, becoming their own separate entities. Mona, who has always been the face and creative force behind Kayali, remains as CEO and leads the brand into its next phase with General Atlantic, a US-based company.
Flourishing In Love – Who is Mona Kattan’s husband, Hassan Elamin?
As her career takes a life of its own, amounting to new levels of success by the minute, her love story is just as captivating. Mona and established entrepreneur Hassan Elamin tied the knot on 22.2.22 in a star-studded Dubai wedding at Raffles The Palm. A fairytale, that started on their university grounds in 2003, has evolved into a 20-year bond that has seen an awe-inspiring star studded Dubai wedding.
Stylish and smart, Hassan graduated with a degree in MS Insurance and Risk Management from Bayes Business School, London. The entrepreneur started off as an account executive before becoming the Head of Facultative, Middle East, Africa and Türkiye at Aon Reinsurance Solutions, where he currently works. He also admits that he is a crypto enthusiast in the video. When he is not sharing lovely photos of himself and his wife on his Instagram, he occasionally shows his interest in fitness and fashion there.
A Self-Love Advocate
Her monumental efforts don’t halt at her entrepreneurial endeavours, they extend to her unyieldingly commitment to movements and conversations. From the vulnerabilities of self-love to centring what’s real within beauty, Mona doesn’t interact with the larger dialogue with any superficiality. She gets real. Never cowering away, she uses her platform to amplify the voices of the unheard. Ingraining the values of her business in personal actions as well. Regardless of the controversy or negative feedback it garners, Mona consistently and adamantly uses her voice for good.
Dubai bling
Season one of Dubai Bling followed the lives of Dubai-based stars including Farhana Bodi, Kris Fade, DJ Bliss, Danya Moahmmed, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Zeina Khoury, Lojain Omran, Safa Siddiqui and Loujain Adada. Season 2 saw Mona join the eccentric cast, and in Season 3 affirmed why she is everyone’s favourite.
@dubaiblingtv DUBAI BLING. S2 IS HERE! 💎 #DubaiBling ♬ original sound – Dubai Bling
This story first appeared on GRAZIA Middle East.
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