1. Nadia Zaal
Nadia Zaal is an Emirati real estate developer and co-founder and CEO of Zaya Group, a UAE-based boutique developer that concentrates on sustainable luxury developments. She also happens to be the CEO of Al Barari Group, which is reputed as the first environmental conscious residential community in Dubai. Zaal is considered to be one of the most sustainable design and hospitality innovators of the region.
Key facts
- Nationality: Emirati
- Founded: Zaya Group (2008)
- Major Projects: Nurai Island, Al Barari, ZUHA Island
- Education: B.A. in Economics and Politics, University of London
- Honors: Forbes 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen (2023–2025)
Career and leadership
Zaal started her career in the field of finance, serving in the Privatization Department of Abu Dhabi and as a representative of the government in big energy and infrastructure projects. She went on to chair the IPO of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company and became a board member of Taweelah Asia Power Company and Al Barari. In 2008, she co-created Zaya Group, which began her idea of balancing nature, society, and high-end living.
Recognition and influence
Zaal has been repeatedly featured by Forbes Middle East as one of the strongest businesswomen in the region (2023-2025) and the most influential real estate leaders. Her style of incorporating environmental care and architecture has seen her become an icon in the transforming real estate industry in the Gulf.
Connect with her – https://www.linkedin.com/company/zaya-real-estate-development-company/
2. Zeina Khoury
Zeina Khoury is a Lebanese female businesswoman, media host, and real estate vice-president in Dubai. She is the President and Chief Growth Officer of Zed Capital Real Estate and has a global presence as the host of the Netflix reality series Dubai Bling, where the affluent way of life in the city is displayed.
Key facts
- Born: December 13, 1983 (Lebanon)
- Current roles: President & Chief Growth Officer, Zed Capital Real Estate
- Notable TV appearance: Dubai Bling (2022–)
- Education: Notre Dame University Louaize; programs at London Business School, Wharton Online, and Columbia Business School
- Social following: ~1.3 million Instagram followers (@thezeinakhoury)
Career in real estate
Her first work was with Emirates Sunland Group, where she assisted in promoting luxury projects like Palazzo Versace Dubai and D1 Tower. By 2012 she had established High Mark Real Estate Brokers and was the CEO, developing a portfolio of high-end properties. She became President and Chief Growth Officer of Zed Capital Real Estate in 2024 and grew the portfolio of the firm in the high-end residential and investment in the UAE.
Connect with her – https://ae.linkedin.com/in/zeinaalkhoury
3. Linda Mahoney
Linda Mahoney is a Dubai-based real estate pioneer and entrepreneur, most famously the founder of Linda Real Estate and co-founder of Betterhomes. She is regarded as one of the powerful forces in the property market of the United Arab Emirates because she was the one who led to the formation of the modern residential brokerage of the market.
Key facts
- Nationality: Canadian
- Based in: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Notable roles: Founder, Linda’s Real Estate; Founder & former CEO, Betterhomes
- Industry: Real estate, entrepreneurship, women’s employment
- Founded Linda’s Real Estate: 2020
Founding of Linda’s Real Estate
In 2020, Mahoney launched Lindas Real Estate, an agency led by women offering women (and especially mothers) flexible, meaningful careers in the property industry. The company is based in the city of Dubai and the nearby emirates, making its agents the community specialists since they are the residents of the neighborhood they are representing.
This paradigm is guided by the professional brokerage and work culture that is family-friendly as one of the Mahoney long-term beliefs on gender equity in business.
Connect with her – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearelindasuae/
4. Honey Deylami
Honey Deylami is a luxury Dubai real-estate broker and an Executive Partner at Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty. Having almost 20 years of experience, she is among the most prominent leaders in the ultra-high-end property market in the emirate, with record-breaking sales and long-term relationships with clients throughout the UAE and internationally.
Key facts
- Position: Executive Partner, Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty
- Career start: 2005
- Total career sales: Over AED 20 billion (≈ US $5.4 billion)
- 2023 sales: ≈ AED 1.5 billion; top broker at Sotheby’s Dubai
- Specialties: Ultra-luxury mansions & penthouses valued AED 30 million +
Career and achievements
Deylami started her career in real estate in Dubai in 2005 and joined Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty shortly after its introduction in the region. She soon came to the limelight due to her prowess in selling high-value residential properties in various neighborhoods like Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Bay Island, Dubai Hills, and Bulgari Residences. Her deals have several times broken the price record, such as a AED 220 million four-story penthouse at AVA Palm Jumeirah Dorchester Collection, which is one of the most costly houses sold in Dubai.
5. Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg
Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg is an Emirati entrepreneur, philanthropist and women empowerment activist. She is Chairperson and Managing Director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG), one of the oldest and most diversified family-owned conglomerates of the UAE. She has grown the group to include trade, manufacturing, retail and real estate activities.
Key facts
- Current role: Chairperson & Managing Director, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group
- Major positions: Chairperson, Al Jalila Foundation; President, Dubai Business Women Council
- Education: B.A. in English Literature, Kuwait University; Honorary Doctorates from Queen’s University Belfast and Amity University
- Notable recognition: Ranked among Forbes World’s Most Powerful Women (2021)
- Recent appointment: Honorary Pro-Chancellor, Heriot-Watt University Dubai (2022)
Leadership and business career
Dr. Al Gurg became part of ESAG in 1989 as the pupil of her father, H.E. Easa Saleh Al Gurg, who was the founder. Since then she has led the group with its 20-plus divisions through continuous diversification and geographic expansion. Her leadership approach focuses on governance, education, and sustainable business practices, which makes her one of the most influential business personalities in the Gulf.
Connect with her – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajaalgurg/
6. Lolwa Yousef
Lolwa Yousef is a top manager in the real estate industry in Dubai as an executive at Samana Developers a fast-growing real estate developer in the United Arab Emirates. She is known to have been leading the way in international sales and also to have been representing the company in the forums of luxury property and investment throughout the region.
Key facts
- Position: Executive, Samana Developers
- Industry: Real estate development
- Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Core focus: International property sales and investor relations
Career and role at Samana Developers
Yousef is a senior sales and business development portfolio at Samana Developers, where she is primarily involved in marketing and expanding the international base of investors in the firm. Her roles are advisory on property investment, project representation, and development of partnerships in the regional and international markets. Her work helps the company to realize its mission of making Dubai a leading destination of real estate that is based on lifestyle.
7. Rima Manna
Rima Manna is a Dubai-based real estate consultant who works in property sales and investment advisory in the United Arab Emirates. She helps clients to navigate the dynamic Dubai real estate market with a focus on residential and luxury real estate.
Key facts
- Profession: Real estate consultant
- Base: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Industry focus: Residential and investment real estate
- Client services: Property sales, rentals, and investment guidance
Career and expertise
Rima Manna has earned her reputation due to the practical market experience and customized customer service. She also usually advises buyers on the best development, manages property listings and advises investors on the diversification of portfolios in high-growth areas of Dubai like Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah.
8. Charazed Ramzan (Shiraz):
Charazed Ramzan, widely known as Shiraz, is a Dubai-based real estate entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Aranax Real Estate, a fast-growing real estate and investment advisory property brokerage of luxury real estate. She is credited with having created one of the most vibrant real estate companies in Dubai at a tender age and has been instrumental in empowering women in the sector.
Key Facts
- Full Name: Charazed Ramzan (also known as Shiraz)
- Role: Founder & CEO – Aranax Real Estate
- Founded: Aranax Real Estate (approx. 2017)
- Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Expansion: Dubai, Miami (USA), Montreal (Canada)
- Clients: 3,400+ global clients
- Sales Volume: AED 200M+ transactions (2022)
- Recognition: Realtor of the Year (2023)
Career and Leadership
Charazed Ramzan began her entrepreneurial journey at an exceptionally young age, founding Aranax Real Estate at just 20 years old in Dubai.
She began her journey by having a vision of establishing a client-centric and globally integrated real estate company and she was able to grow the company into an international brand within a short period of time. During her leadership, Aranax Real Estate has grown out of the UAE to major markets in the world like the United States and Canada, where it serves a varied range of international clients.
Her firm deals in the sale, lease, and investment consulting of high-end property, and provides personalized services to high-net worth individuals. Having a multilingual workforce and excellent knowledge of the market, the company has built a good reputation in the competitive real estate market in Dubai.
9. Maria Morris
Maria Morris is a British real estate broker and an entrepreneur specializing in luxury real estate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Maria Morris Global (MMG) is a prime and super-prime property brokerage company specializing in international high-net-worth clients, of which she is the founder and CEO.
Her company is known to be the first all-women-owned real estate company in Dubai and is a representation of the liberalization of the business environment in the emirate and the inclusion of women in the business.
Key facts
- Company: Maria Morris Global (founded 2021)
- Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Previous role: Head of Residential, Knight Frank Dubai
- Client focus: Ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families
- Media features: Financial Times, The Telegraph, Forbes, Mansion Global
Founding of Maria Morris Global
After the 2021 UAE regulatory reform that allowed 100 percent foreign ownership of mainland businesses, Morris formed Maria Morris Global at the beginning of 2022. The company concentrates on custom-made brokerage and property consultancy on prime and super-prime properties in Dubai, as well as being a reliable partner to global investors who desire investment and luxury houses.
10. Nassira Sekkay
Nassira Sekkay is a Dubai real estate entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Nassira Properties, a boutique luxury real estate brokerage with a personalized, client-focused service. Her kindness in the luxurious Dubai real estate market has made her create a good reputation for offering individualized solutions to investment, empowering women in the real estate industry.
Key Facts
- Nationality: Moroccan
- Company Founded: Nassira Properties
- Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Specialization: Luxury real estate, high-net-worth clients, property investment advisory
- Focus: Client-first service, female empowerment in real estate
Career and Leadership
Nassira Sekkay began in the competitive world of real estate business in Dubai, and she received practical experience in selling the property, advising clients, and consulting them on investments. Her good understanding of the luxury property market and her relationship-building skills with others soon qualified her to be a good consultant with the high-net-worth customers.
She would then establish Nassira Properties, which it would become a women-led boutique real estate company focusing on high-end and luxury real estate in Dubai. Under her leadership, the company emphasizes personalized service, transparency, and long-term client relationships.
Sekkay is also credited with encouraging women to engage in real estate, opening up opportunities to women professionals, and creating leadership in a male-dominated industry. Her business background can be described as the power of strength, market understanding, and the willingness to redefine the experiences in the luxury real estate segment in Dubai.
