Top Arab women media leaders
Current occupation: Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office
Former employers: Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Press Club, Government of Dubai Media Office
Education: Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Nationality: Emirati
Named by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader in 2014, Mona Al-Marri is one of the most prominent young Emirati leaders in the UAE media landscape.
Al-Marri started her career as a media and PR coordinator with the founding team of the Dubai Shopping Festival. Shortly after, she was appointed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum to establish the Dubai Press Club, which works to develop and support journalism on the local and regional levels through various initiatives.
As president of the Dubai Press Club, Al-Marri launched the Arab Media Forum and the Arab Journalism Award, which is given each year by Sheikh Mohammed.
Given her success, Al-Marri was appointed as director general of the Government of Dubai Media Office, the communications arm between the government of Dubai and local and international media.
Al-Marri played a big role in empowering women in the UAE and facilitating their greater participation in national development. She was appointed as vice president of the Dubai Ladies Club. She then headed the creation and development of the Dubai Women Establishment and is currently the chairwoman of its board. She has also been appointed vice president of the UAE Gender Balance Council.
Al-Marri has won various awards, given her wide-ranging achievements. She was named Outstanding Business Leader of the Middle East by the World BPO Forum. In 2013, she was chosen by Forbes Arabia as one of the 30 most influential Arab women in the government sector in the Middle East. She also ranked 18th among the 100 Most Powerful Arab Women by Arabian Business magazine.
