Her first foray into fashion retail saw Mariya open Soirée, Dubai’s first multi-brand Pakistani boutique, in 2008. With a family heritage steeped in Pakistan’s textiles, combined with her commitment to style and first-hand experience of her country’s couturiers, her unique boutique promotes some of Pakistan’s top designers. Her flair for fashion and dynamic business acumen assure that she’s the consummate ambassador for Pakistan’s fashion industry in Dubai.

Originally from Yugoslavia, Jelena is ever the entrepreneur. Since 2005 she has set up her own recruitment agency, IRS, as well as founding and co-owning the sublimely stylish Dubai cosmetics salons, Vanilla by Jelena and Chocolate by Jelena – her passion and drive turning both businesses into instant success stories. The former model and Miss Yugoslavia also has a Masters in Economics Diplomacy and takes an active role in charities in her native Serbia.

Originally Chief Investment Officer and now CEO of ING Investment Management, Farah has an outstanding CV. Following a BSc Honours in Mathematics and an MBA in Finance, Farah’s covetable 15-year career has seen her work for Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, NBC and as Senior Fund Manager at EFG-Hermes. In addition, she has private equity exposure through a private venture in Argentina, as well as an internet start-up in the UK.

Eileen efficiently juggles the role of mother, charity worker and savvy business-woman. As Managing Partner of the Portsmouth Group, one of the Middle East’s fastest-growing communications consultancies, she has over a decade of PR experience. Developing and supervising the execution of regional PR strategies for companies such as BT, Art Dubai and Christie’s, she oversees their offices in the UAE, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan, while focusing her attention on driving the visibility of the company’s most compelling Middle Eastern brands.

Having successfully launched the designer handbag rental and purchasing site www.mapochette.com, British entrepreneur Danielle Wilson most recently launched, www.cityshoppingdubai.com, an online Dubai shopping store directory, which receives 3,000 hits a day. As well as setting up the same for Abu Dhabi and with plans for other major cities, Danielle is also a keen charity worker, who devises and supports events for local and international charities.