5 inspirational Arab women who totally owned 2017

Topping the list is none other than 16-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, who was recently arrested by Israeli authorities at her home in the West Bank, Palestine, on December 19. 

Tamimi made international headlines after a video of her demanding two Israeli soldiers to leave her front yard went viral.

But Tamimi has long been a symbol of Palestinian resistance to the occupation, and this isn’t her first time confronting Israeli forces. In 2012, pictures of her trying to prevent soldiers from arresting her brother also went viral.

She won the Turkish 'Handala Courage Award' when she was 13 years old and has participated in protests in her hometown Nabi Saleh since she was nine.

Ranked 8th on Forbes’ "The Most Powerful Arab Women in 2015", Gorani is an American-born Syrian journalist and CNN’s London-based anchor and senior correspondent. 

She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from George Mason University in 2015 and multiple awards for her network coverage of regional events.

Gorani is also the host of the CNN’s new show Hala Gorani Tonight, where she says she aims "to break down the day’s news, curating the stories that matter and getting into exactly why they are important". 

Sara Al Madani has been an entrepreneur since she was 15 years old when her journey began with a local fashion business inspired by her desire to transform the traditional Abaya.

"I remember I had one mission: to change the way women wore their traditional clothes," said Al Madani. 

She has been breaking stereotypes and defying gender norms for 16 years now. Al Madani has since launched her very own creative consultancy and became a restaurant owner.

 "A lot of people say I work hard and nobody notices. That is not true," said Al Madani. 

"There’s someone somewhere paying attention to you, so don’t stop."

Following her early success, Al Madani was chosen as a board member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) in 2014 by His Highness Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi, member of the UAE's supreme council and ruler of Sharjah. 

Earlier this month, her fashion brand Rouge Couture was featured on the catwalk of Dubai's Modest Fashion Week. She has also recently uploaded a Youtube video sharing advice.

Reigning over the world of social media and beauty influencers is none other than beauty mogul Huda Kattan, who now has almost 10 times more Instagram followers than the entire population of Dubai.

With 23.4 million Instagram followers and counting, the 34-year-old launched her makeup brand Huda Beauty in 2013 with false lashes, which later evolved to include liquid lipsticks, palettes, and foundation.  

Kattan was declared one of the "ten most powerful influencers in the world of beauty" by Forbes magazine. She was also chosen as one of "The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet" by Time magazine in 2017.

Huda Beauty has recently received a minority investment from TSG Consumer Partners, making Kattan the first beauty influencer to obtain this type of deals. 

With a company that is expected to bring in $200 million in retail sales for 2017, it's safe to say we can all learn a few lessons in business from Kattan.

A Jordanian TV presenter, jiu-jitsu practitioner, and professional wrestler, Shadia Bseiso is a force to be reckoned with. 

Just this past October, Bseiso became the first Arab female wrestler from the Middle East to sign a contract with WWE, the world's largest wrestling promotion company.

She has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the American University of Beirut and began her career as a TV presenter and voice-over artist for a Dubai-based media group. 

"I am absolutely honoured to be the first Arab female from the Middle East to be signed to the WWE," Bseiso told The National. 

"It is a honour but also a big responsibility because you want the region to be proud." she added.