Danah Al Ali, Amal Murad, Raha Moharrak, and Jessica Kahawaty.
We are fortunate to live in a region that both celebrates and champions its women and their myriad success. From the UAE’s formation of a Gender Balance Council, which aims to close the country’s gender gap, to the number of women paving their way in the fields of politics, sports, and design, there are many female role models in the Middle East for the younger generation to look up to.
And on Saturday, November 24, four of them will be making an appearance on our custom-created main stage to open up about their many achievements. As part of Vogue Loves Fashion Avenue, a 10-day celebration of The Dubai Mall’s 10th anniversary, Danah Al Ali, Amal Murad, and Raha Moharrak will reveal all about their journeys – both their struggles and their triumphs – from 7pm. The Women of Great Accomplishments panel will be moderated by Lebanese-Australian model and humanitarian Jessica Kahawaty, herself a inspirational icon for her charity work. The philanthropist, who studied international human rights law, refugee law, and family law, has been involved with charities in Australia working to provide children with education and meals, and has visited several refugee camps around the region as part of her work.
Joining Kahawaty is Saudi-born Moharrak, who became a household name in May 2013 after she claimed the title of being the first woman from the Kingdom to climb Mount Everest. “Climbing was never a decision, it was a calling,” the adventurer, who has also conquered summits including Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Vinson, told Vogue Arabia in 2016. She shares such passion with fellow mountaineer Al Ali, a mother and full-time government worker who also climbed Kilimanjaro in 2013, and last year became the first Emirati woman to summit Argentina’s Aconcagua. Next year, she hopes to become the first Emirati woman to conquer Mount Everest.
Murad is also renowned for her thrill-seeking pursuits, having left her job as a graphic designer to pursue a career as the only female Emirati parkour expert. “Since childhood, I used to climb walls and vault over boxes in the neighborhood, pretending to be a ninja,” the personal trainer, who is also a Nike ambassador, told Vogue Arabia earlier this year.
They may have already been making headlines, but these four women are destined to continue making more as they smash those glass ceilings. To get an intimate, first-hand account of how they’ve made waves so far, don’t miss this one-off discussion.
Panel: Women of Great Accomplishments will begin at 7pm on Saturday, November 24, at the Vogue Loves Fashion Avenue main stage at The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue. Spaces are limited and on a “first come, first served” basis. For more information about Vogue Loves Fashion Avenue, including a list of exclusive talks with celebrities and style icons, masterclasses from industry experts, and live performances, click here.
Now Read: Vogue Loves Fashion Avenue: Celebrating The Dubai Mall’s 10th Anniversary
