The travel industry’s top event returns to Dubai.
Nov. 19-20 in Dubai
The Middle East and North Africa’s Rising Female Travel Leaders
The travel and tourism industry of the Middle East and North Africa is witnessing a profound transformation. And with that change, comes an emerging wave of female leadership in the sector.
That’s why Skift is honored to present the latest installment of our Generation Next series – this time dedicated to spotlighting the remarkable women leaders shaping travel in the MENA region.
These leaders are tech entrepreneurs, executives and diplomats who are instrumental in fostering the sector’s rapid growth. Their contributions drive innovation and stimulate economic vitality – their stories are forward-thinking and inclusive, all while taking shape within a region that’s celebrated for its rich history.
Reading the profiles, you’ll be struck by how each of these leaders exemplifies a commitment to advancing their organizations, communities, and the region at large. These are women of vision; and that vision extends far beyond personal achievement. They reflect a shared sense of responsibility to propel progress across borders. Please enjoy Generation Next: The Middle East and North Africa’s Rising Female Travel Leaders.
– Sarah Kopit
Skift, Editor-in-Chief
Nada Wael Farouk started Turismo in November 2020 to solve a key problem with travel in the Middle East and North Africa: the lack of organization of tourism activities.
In its description on LinkedIn, the app aims to digitize tourism, hospitality and entertainment in the MENA region. “It might seem to be a risky decision, but I believe Turismo is the right solution at the right time,” Farouk told Entrepreneur in 2022.
In short, Turismo does in Qatar, Saudi, and Egypt what GetYourGuide does in the rest of the world – it showcases activities that travelers can experience when visiting a destination. Turismo, however, caters to the “unique interests of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) travelers,” according to Turismo’s website. Instead of offering holiday packages like many other travel companies were doing in the MENA region, Turismo partnered with local vendors.
Standalone activities such as dhow cruises, pearl kayaking, desert safaris, and more were listed on the platform.
There were a few problems she hoped the app could solve: Low profit margins for vendors, poor customer experience, and the lack of awareness about hospitality operations on cultural sites. “70% of tourism companies and agents in Egypt alone are underserved and running offline without any technology nor safe payment methods,” she said in 2022.
She envisioned a localized platform that would align itself with the respective visions of the countries it was operating in. Think 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar: It digitized sports and cultural tourism in the run up to this event. Turismo does not aim to serve a wide audience, but a niche within Millennials and GenZ travelers.
While she is busy building Turismo, Farouk has also joined consulting firm PwC in the Middle East as transformation and strategy consultant to help organizations develop and refine their strategies.
Speaking to Entrepreneur, she shared one of her tips to entrepreneurs: “Don’t lie to yourself if something is not working, face the brutal facts with versatility, confidence, and faith that your hard work will eventually pay off. And most importantly, make your mental health your number one priority, always.”
She is keen to learn and grow. “You need people in your life who are further ahead than you. People who have a bigger vision, more experience, and a broader perspective. Surrounding yourself with such individuals exposes you to new levels of growth and achievement,” she believes.
Ahead of Riyadh Air’s first passenger flight in 2025, most industry chatter is focused on aircraft and airports. But while planes are important, it’s the people who will determine whether the start-up succeeds. Enter Mody Alkhalaf.
As the carrier’s new Director of Talent and Learning, Alkhalaf oversees a broad brief. And she has an equally diverse background to carry it out.
She is a graduate of Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University – the world’s largest higher education facility for women. She started her career as a teaching assistant and later gained a PhD in Applied Linguistics.
She is also a former diplomat at the Saudi embassy in Washington D.C. and was one of the first Saudi women to hold such a post.
“If you are ambitious and you want to achieve your goals, then you need to enable yourself,” says Alkhalaf. Her executive degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business is further evidence of that.
Reflecting on the program, she said: “What surprised me was learning other things that I never stopped to think of, like celebrating failure. You can pivot and you can succeed.”
Alkhalaf used her later appointment to the Saudi Shura Council — the country’s most senior consultative assembly — to advocate for change. With a gender pay gap emerging in the country’s private sector, she pressed for improvements.
“The legislation was there, but implementation was not. We advised that there should be monitoring of the implementation of that law – in addition to public awareness. Women going into the private sector should be aware of their rights and highlight them to their employers,” she told a Harvard Business School event earlier this year.
Asked what advice she would give to the generation below her own, Alkhalaf emphasized the need to remain sharp. “My message to young ladies living today in an exceptional era is to know that you are lucky. Don’t take things for granted, appreciate the former generation that worked hard to get where they are today. Learn from them, but work just as hard, if not harder to prove that you’re not just a quota. You may have an equal seat at the table, but show that you also bring value.”
When Hessa Almazroa became Saudi Arabia’s first female hotel general manager in 2017, she shattered a cultural barrier. Now, as GM of the newly opened Novotel Riyadh Sahafa, she leads a staff of 65. She also has served on industry committees to help reshape Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding hospitality landscape.
Almazroa’s path began in 2004 when she became a marketing officer at the AlHokair Group, a holding company with investments in hospitality and entertainment. While there she helped with marketing the company’s IPO and managing partnerships with corporations like Saudi Telecom and Riyad Bank. In 2006, she founded the group’s corporate social responsibility program.
Almazroa transitioned to hotel operations around 2015. “It was an opportunity to show that a Saudi female could do something different,” she told Skift.
She started as deputy general manager at Novotel Suites Riyadh Olaya, and by 2020, she was running the five-star Möovenpick in Riyadh.
“The most fun part in my career has been helping two hotels launch,” she said. “It’s very charming when you see a hotel go from the conception phase, where colors of paint and furniture are chosen, and then leaders are chosen, to the opening phase.”
Amazroa attributes her career momentum to creating a welcoming environment: “For me, hospitality is in our Saudi DNA. We love to show guests they’re welcome in our homes, and I try to communicate this value to the team.”
Amazroa is particularly proud of developing talent. Half the staff at her hotel are Saudi nationals, and over 30% of the hotel’s leaders are women.
Her vision extends beyond individual properties to Saudi Arabia’s broader hospitality goals: “Saudi Arabia aims to be one of the Top 10 [tourism destinations]… So we need to give a very high standard to hospitality.”
Saudi’s plan to transform its economy, dubbed Vision 2030, has a target of attracting 150 million visitors, and Almazroa emphasizes the private sector’s crucial role: “Vision 2030 is expecting 65% private sector contribution. So we have a very high responsibility.”
For Almazroa, success in hospitality comes down to one thing: “Passion is the key. If you are passionate, especially in hospitality, you will reach the sky. It’s not an easy road, but I insist it’s a fun journey.”
– Sean O’Neill and Josh Corder
For over 30 years, Mariam Juma BuAlShawarib AlFalasi has dedicated her professional life to advancing Dubai’s government and private sectors. Her career started at Emirates Airline and then Emaar Properties – one of the largest real estate developers in the city.
She started at Dubai Holding in 2009 with Emirates International Telecommunications. In 2015, AlFalasi took on a role with Dubai Holding Real Estate, where she is now the Chief Operating Officer, spearheading key developments and strategy for one of the largest master developers in the region.
She oversees talent management, drives operational efficiency, and ensures cohesion across divisions such as development, project management, and community services.
Over the past year, Dubai Holding Real Estate has grown rapidly, bringing prominent developer Nakheel under its umbrella. Nakheel, known for its ambitious projects, created the iconic Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island that has become home to Dubai’s world-famous Atlantis resorts. The upcoming Palm Jebel Ali, a larger island development that is expected to house over 80 hotels upon completion, reflects Nakheel’s ongoing contributions to Dubai’s tourism landscape.
Meraas, another key developer within Dubai Holding Real Estate, is behind Bluewaters Island, a premier luxury destination that features the Ain Dubai Ferris wheel, anticipated to reopen soon as a major attraction. The addition of the Dubai Islands project, positioned near Dubai’s international airport, highlights Dubai Holding Real Estate’s commitment to enhancing both tourism and residential experiences.
Projects like Bluewaters Island, Palm Jebel Ali, and the Dubai Islands are poised to become Dubai’s future hotspots, attracting both tourists and residents. As COO, it is AlFalasi’s job to keep these running, guiding Dubai Holding Real Estate in shaping the emirate’s future.
Whatever the project, Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy offers a consistent message: Bring the world together. Make it better. Keep moving forward.
Al Hashimy honed these themes as leader of Dubai’s Expo 2020, which included representation from 192 countries. It took more than 10 years of planning to pull off and, since it had never been done, there was no roadmap. But she knew the Expo had to meet the moment.
Delayed due to Covid, the Expo ultimately ran for 6 months through March 2022. The country hosted 380,000 people.
Speaking about it on the eve of its conclusion, she said: “What Dubai has managed to do, what the UAE has managed to do, if you take a wide-angle shot… you see that we are a nation intent on bringing people together for a larger purpose, for a good purpose, and to spread that good with scale.”
And, like travel, it was about revealing the world to each other. “Expos are also about human connections, they are about memories and purpose and impact.”
Al Hashimy described the Expo’s impact, noting, “There’s a sense of discovery. Of exploration. Of excitement to discover new places.” She shared that countless attendees expressed newfound insights about the region, with many eager to explore it further both for business and leisure travel.
While mindful of her role as an Emirati woman, Al Hashimy prioritizes the impact over breaking barriers. When asked about challenging stereotypes, she emphasized that her focus isn’t on defying norms but on striving for excellence in everything she does, and letting her work speak for itself.
“A lot of the challenges we’re seeing in girls’ education is being held back because of religious or cultural beliefs,” she says. “And I think that’s where we need to really advocate for the fact that our religion, as Islam, does not conflict or contradict the right of every young Muslim girl to get a full-fledged education just as her brothers would.”
Progress is the aim.
“We have to be persistent. We have to just never stop. Because there will always be voices that want to take us back. And we have to keep being determined to just never stop.”
As Saudi Arabia’s first female Ambassador to the United States, Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud is reshaping Saudi Arabia’s image both at home and abroad.
Appointed in 2019, she’s at the forefront of a transformation aimed at diversifying the nation’s economy, with travel and tourism playing a pivotal role. As Saudi Arabia seeks to position itself as a global destination, Princess Reema’s diplomatic leadership efforts are a deliberate shift, designed to open the Kingdom’s doors to the world.
While her role as Ambassador places her at the center of complex geopolitics, her career in both the private and public sectors has deep influence on Saudi Arabia’s travel sector.
As Vice President of Women’s Affairs at the Saudi General Sports Authority, she championed policies that broadened public engagement with sports and recreation, making the Kingdom more accessible to women and tourists alike. Her work on mass participation has been instrumental in reshaping Saudi Arabia’s public life, paving the way for major sporting events and cultural festivals that now form a key part of the Kingdom’s tourism strategy.
Princess Reema’s diplomatic influence extends into Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030. She has helped to promote initiatives like the Red Sea Project and NEOM, futuristic developments intended to draw a new wave of eco-conscious, luxury travelers. Her commitment to sustainability is further reflected in her organization, Catmosphere, which ties animal conservation to broader wellness and tourism goals.
An advocate for women’s empowerment, her work reaches beyond the corridors of diplomacy. Whether through her founding of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association or her role in major cultural and conservation initiatives, Princess Reema is helping to craft a new narrative for Saudi Arabia — one that reimagines the country as a global destination for travelers while balancing tradition and progress.
When Aisha Al Mansoori earned her captain’s stripes in 2022, she became the first female Emirati to hold the rank at Etihad Airways, a milestone for gender representation in the Middle East’s aviation sector, where women are historically underrepresented.
And she was just 33.
Al Mansoori joined Etihad in 2007 as one of an early group of female cadets. After finishing her training in 2010, she gained around 6,000 flight hours on different aircraft and eventually flew the Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet in the world. This was a significant milestone, not only due to the aircraft’s size but because she became the first woman from the UAE to pilot it.
Al Mansoori’s passion for flying was sparked by her older sister, Major Mariam Al Mansouri, the UAE’s first female fighter pilot. As a teenager, Aisha accompanied Mariam to air shows, where her fascination with aircraft and the world of aviation took root. “When I saw the aircraft and the pilots, I just fell in love. I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she shared in an earlier interview with National News.
Al Mansoori is not only a pioneer but also a mentor, actively encouraging young women in the UAE to consider careers in aviation. Speaking at the inaugural Skift Global Forum East, she said that becoming a pilot required overcoming challenges typical for all aviators: long hours, frequent travel, and time away from family. “The challenges are equal,” she said, emphasizing that female and male pilots face similar demands.
Al Mansoori’s accomplishments come at a time when Etihad is committing to greater gender diversity within its leadership by 2025. Although women make up a small percentage of global airline executives, Etihad’s steps, along with Al Mansoori’s example, are likely to inspire further reforms and encourage other women to pursue careers previously considered out of reach.
Zeljana Babic was two years into a neuroscience PhD program in 2022 when she had to take medical leave for heart surgery.
She felt uneasy simply taking a break, and wanted to use the time to capitalize on what she had learned so far in her studies.
That’s when she connected with her brother and a former colleague from the restaurant Atmosphere (located on floor 122 of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai) who would join Babic as co-founders of Xenios Academy. The startup, based in Dubai, has developed a Duolingo-like app meant to improve training for hospitality workers.
Babic, age 33, knew that training in the industry is lacking.
Babic, CEO of Xenios, had worked in Atmosphere and other restaurants to help pay for school. And Marco Corallo, her COO, has experience in the industry as a sommelier and restaurant manager.
“There’s so much inefficiency in training out there, and I saw it when I was working in both high-end places and just regular coffee shops,” Babic said.
The framework of the Xenios program is based on research-supported methods for learning and knowledge retention. That’s where Babic’s neuroscience background came in handy, she said. Workers complete the short lessons to earn points, and they compete with one another.
Clients upload their own materials — PDFs, videos, whatever they have — and the AI that powers the platform creates custom lessons.
“Within minutes, everything is available to their employees,” she said.
Between a push for more tourism in the Middle East and a strong startup ecosystem in Dubai, she sees strong opportunity for the startup in that region.
“Hotels and restaurants are popping up from every corner there,” she said.
Xenios Academy was one of four winners in a startup competition last year by the United Nations that highlighted women in tech in the Middle East. Babic is looking to raise the startup’s first round of venture capital next year.
Menna Ayad, the founder and CEO of the Egyptian experiences app Fosha, was an entrepreneur before she fully understood the concept.
Born and raised in Cairo, Ayad sold T-shirts to her classmates during her senior year in high school. In 2012, as a computer science student at the American University in Cairo, she created a mobile app to help incoming freshmen navigate the college experience on the huge campus.
Then as an IT volunteer at the UN World Food Program, Ayad developed an internal Android app for one of the program’s school projects.
Ayad said she has long been passionate about travel and tourism, and “creating a tech platform that can reach many people and make their lives easier somehow.”
In 2017, as a network consulting engineer for Cisco, she would organize tours for colleagues visiting Egypt. “I wanted to create the perfect trip for them when we traveled outside of Cairo to Sharm el Sheik, to Giza and Sinai. I was very passionate about organizing the trip and making them experience the real Egypt.”
She developed the idea for a Vodafone startup competition, which led her to founding Fosha in early 2022. The app connects travelers with experienced tour guides and experiences in Cairo and Giza.
In 2023, Ayad and Fosha won a Middle East Women in Tech Startup competition in Riyadh, sponsored by UN Tourism and the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Tourism, in the events and community category.
Ayad said it’s been a “tough” and “emotional” journey in the startup world, especially as a solo founder.
“The challenges go for every entrepreneur, not just for women entrepreneurs,” Ayad said. “But I was lucky because of the support from incubators, accelerators and competitions focused on women.”
But Ayad is obviously not done yet. On the roadmap is expanding Fosha to other cities in Egypt and to additional countries in the Middle East.
Fatma Almheiri has always had an eye on the future. And that led her to rise through the ranks at Etihad, where she eventually became the first Emirati woman to become a country manager for the company – first in Canada, and then France.
“I knew that I was ambitious and I wanted to grow within Etihad,” she said during a podcast with Destination Abu Dhabi last December. “Representing the airline abroad was satisfactory, and being an ambassador as well to the airline was extremely satisfying.”
Almheiri first joined Etihad in 2010, shortly after graduating from the University of Montpellier in France, as part of the company’s graduate training program. She worked in Paris in business development and account manager roles before she became Etihad’s country manager for Canada.
She has largely credited her time in France with helping her land bigger roles.
“I got the opportunity to work in a market like France, which is [one of] our top revenue destinations, and was able to get out of my comfort zone,” Almheiri said.
She soon became a country manager for France and then was Etihad’s vice president of sales for the UAE, Middle East and Africa, a post she left in September. Currently, Almheiri is the president of language school Alliance Française’s strategic committee.
During her time at Etihad, she played a role in navigating the company’s response to the pandemic. One of the biggest challenges was how to handle an influx of requests for repatriation flights — countries asking for charter flights to fly their citizens back.
“This is something that we never have done earlier,” she said on the podcast. “So it was also building on new strategies during these challenging times.”
For Alhmeiri, she said her favorite part of the job was meeting clients.
“Meeting clients from different countries, who have different mindsets and different ways of working is really eye opening,” she said.
And as for career advice to young women considering a career in the industry, she says, “the sky is not the limit.”
Edited by Lex Haris. Design and photo treatments by Beatrice Tagliaferri.
All photography by Skift, except for HE Reem Al Hashimy (credit UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs), HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud (credit The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Hessa Almazroa (credit Accor), Aisha Al Mansoori (credit Etihad Airways), Nada Wael Farouk (credit Nada Wael Farouk), Zeljana Babic (credit Zeljana Babic), Fatma Almheiri (credit Fatma Almheiri/LinkedIn), Mody Alkhalaf (credit Mody Alkhalaf/LinkedIn), Menna Ayad (credit Menna Ayad)