Forbes Middle East Woman A Departure from the Norm

April 28, 2014, As the first issue of Forbes Middle East Woman hits shelves, we hope today, more than ever, to revolutionize the world of women’s magazines in the Middle East. In a market crowded with publications filled with recycled sets of celebrity photos, Forbes Woman offers alternative food for thought.  
 
Constructed by an editorial collective committed to pioneering, transnational, and female perspectives, the inaugural issue of Forbes Woman examines and celebrates the ambitions and accomplishments of an influential and creative group of females from across the Arab world and beyond. With a happy balance of lifestyle and business, Arab and international, emerging and established, Forbes Middle East has delivered an unrivalled read that the region has longed for.
 
Khuloud Al Omian, Vice President of Arab Publisher House and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Middle East explains, “The motive for the birth of this latest addition to the Forbes Middle East family is simple: behind the one-dimensional faces that grace many a glossy magazine cover are three-dimensional individuals with varied and multi-layered interests”.
 
Fierce, intelligent, and proud, Forbes Woman’s editorial mix addresses a variety of interests from leadership and business to health/wellness, family, travel and culture. Through the lens of the world’s most interesting women, the publication embraces the multiple shifting identities of affluent and influential female communities across the region.
 
This groundbreaking women’s magazine offers a unique combination of debate and analysis, advice and inspiration; news, reviews and interviews; its smartly-toned features are topical and relatable. As such, Forbes Woman hopes to become a point of connection for bright, cutting-edge women and a conversation launcher for the emerging wave of female leaders.
 
With influential females the driving force behind the quarterly publication, a trio of successful women share Forbes Woman’s very first cover.  A cover that will not be reserved for glittering celebrities, but for the women who are shining stars in their fields.
 
In this issue, Scientific testing laboratory CEO Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi discusses the importance of education, philanthropy and her early life in the vibrant Philippines, whilst fashion’s first lady, Reem Acra, tells her own inspiring story which began on Lebanese shores. Rounding off the triad, Riyadh-born Tunisian Lina Lazaar, a specialist at Sotheby’s, provides a window in the exciting world of Middle Eastern art.    
 
As readers leaf through the unexplored pages of the first edition of Forbes Woman, the Forbes Middle East team quietly prepares for a second issue of inspiring reading, destined to land on your desks in June. Currently, the magazine is solely being published in English, but in future, we hope to bring this exciting publication to the Arabic-speaking community.  The publication will continue to delve into the pertinent issues facing women; celebrating success, highlighting challenges and offering advice, while showcasing some of the region’s most prominent female players.