The Most Famous Influencers in Dubai
For many of its residents, especially expats, Dubai is a city of opportunities that has turned simple individuals into millionaires.
In fact, there are now more than 68,000 millionaires in Dubai and many of them made their fortune through social media and the internet.
Dubai is the perfect setting for influencers because here, everything is beautiful, grand and luxurious. This is why it easily became the influencer capital of the world.
Want to know more about Dubai’s top influencers? Then read on!
The Top Influencers in Dubai
Supercar Blondie
You can’t love super cars and not know about Supercar Blondie, the most popular female automotive influencer in the world today.
Alexandra Mary Hirschi or “Alex” has a combined social media following of 40.8 million and she’s known for featuring supercars and anything related to automobiles.
The Australian influencer moved to Dubai in 2008 where she worked as a presenter for Dubai Eye 103.8 for nine years. Her screen name was “Radio Blondie” then.
Alex eventually left her job in 2018 to become a full time content creator and she has been on a roll ever since. In fact, she built a $17-million fortune within just five years of creating content.
How Supercar Blondie Started
Growing up in Australia, Alex always had a passion for cars, especially on how they look.
But it was a trip to the United States that really ignited her love for cars when she saw a limo and dreamed of owning a luxury car when she’s older.
Being a TV presenter, she carried on this passion when she interviewed celebrities like John Travolta and Liam Neeson about their love for cars.
Alex eventually got her own radio show after five years and she got an offer from Bentley to test one of their cars for the weekend.
This is where she decided to start her Instagram page where she now has more than 11.7 million followers.
After 18 months of posting videos of car reviews on her account, Alex reached 50,000 followers, so she decided to quit radio to pursue content creation full time with her husband Nick Hirschi.
What Makes Supercar Blondie Different?
Although the automotive industry is dominated by men, Supercar Blondie stood out because of her more casual approach that focused more on aesthetics over mechanics.
In an interview with GQ Magazine where Alex was asked why one of her earlier videos with no narration did so well, she said:
“It did so well and it was because it was just so raw. For social media, people don’t want to see highly stylized cinematic footage – they want to feel like you’ve just picked up your phone and shot something and they’re there with you.”
Instead of proclaiming herself as a car expert, Alex took the approach of being a “car entertainer” who talked casually about her favorite cars.
Being seen as “the girl who loved cars,” Alex made authentic connections with her followers, which also contributed a lot to her success.
In 2020, Supercar Blondie became the most watched page on Facebook and her YouTube channel also reached over 5 million subscribers.
Because of her strong following, Supercar Blondie was featured in several automotive shows like “Grip” and “Top Gear.”
She also now has her own show with Amazon Prime called “Car Crews” that has been airing since 2019.
According to statistics from SocialBlade, Supercar Blondie’s annual revenue on YouTube alone is estimated to reach $851,000. She also gets paid between $30,000 and $60,000 per paid post on Instagram.
Huda Kattan
Anyone who loves watching makeup tutorials and product reviews knows who Huda Kattan is.
The famous makeup artist, blogger and now entrepreneur made views on social media for her makeup tutorial videos.
In fact, her videos were so viral that she built a business empire out of them.
Today, she is the Founder and CEO of Huda Beauty, her own makeup line that’s sold around the world.
From just selling false eyelashes, the brand has expanded to more than 140 products with more than $200 million in annual sales.
Huda Kattan is now worth more than $400 million and was named one of the Middle East’s “100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2023.”
How Huda Beauty Started
Huda Kattan was born in Oklahoma CIty in the United States to Iraqi parents.
Because of her Middle Eastern look, she experienced a lot of bullying that led to serious self-image problems for many years.
Huda eventually discovered makeup and she found comfort in experimenting with different looks using her makeup tools.
In 2006, Huda moved to Dubai with her father and she started posting videos of herself doing her makeup.
She also offered advice to other women who are struggling with self-image issues, which is why she gained a lot of followers on her YouTube channel.
To improve her makeup skills, Huda moved back to Los Angeles to study makeup. She eventually worked with celebrities like Eva Longoria.
Huda returned to Dubai where she worked as a makeup artist for Revlon. She also started a blog named Huda Beauty where she wrote articles about makeup.
After her social media platforms gained a lot of traction, Huda started her own Dubai-based makeup business called Huda Beauty.
Huda said that she started her line of false eyelashes with only $6,000 that her sisters lent her.
The beauty line eventually expanded to eyeshadow palettes, lip contours and bronzers.
Huda Beauty is now sold in different beauty and department stores around the world including Sephora.
In 2017, TSG Consumer Partners acquired part of Huda Beauty that valued it at $1.2 billion.
What Is the Secret to Huda Beauty’s Success?
Success didn’t happen overnight for Huda Kattan. In fact, it took more than a year before she started getting recognition outside Dubai.
Here, she invested in $5 Facebook ads using her credit card hoping that it will pay off – and it did.
Huda said that one of her secrets was to always set small goals that were achievable for her. This kept her enthusiastic throughout those tough times. She said:
“I kept setting goals. My first goal was to become the biggest beauty blogger in the Middle East. I think without those small goals, I would have really lost a lot of enthusiasm because it wasn’t taking off in the beginning.”
More than being an influencer, Huda Kattan is seen as an inspirational woman who promoted women empowerment in the Middle East, especially among young women.
In 2020, she was named as one of the “Richest Self-Made Women” in America by Forbes.
Joelle Mardinian
She describes herself as a Mum, celebrity, entrepreneur and TV host in her social media platforms.
Joelle Mardinian is a Lebanese TV show host and makeup artist who made a mark on both television and social media in the Middle East.
With a combined followers of 24.7 million, Joelle is one of the most popular influencers in Dubai and the MENA region today.
She’s also the Founder and CEO of the Joelle Group, a beauty empire that includes Clinica Joelle, Maison de Joelle, Joelle Paris and EyeCandy.
Today, Joelle Mardinian is worth at least $60.3 million making her one of the most successful influencers in the Middle East.
How Joelle Mardinian Started
Born in Lebanon, Joelle was raised in London where she later studied makeup and worked with different celebrities.
She later moved to Dubai to start her career as a television host for the MBC channel. Since then, Joelle became one of the most popular TV presenters in the Arab world.
Her show “Joelle” is now the longest running makeover TV program in MBC.
What Separates Joelle Mardinian from the others?
A lot of people envy Joelle Mardinian’s success. But she says that it took a lot of hard work and perseverance for her to get to this point.
“People just see the glamor, but they don’t understand the sleepless nights, or that, for example, for Maison de Joelle, I had a partner at the beginning, and then he wanted to exit.
I was going to the bank personally, begging for a loan, and I had to take two to buy him out. It had been four years before I made one dirham.”
Joelle’s latest venture is “Joelle Unfiltered,” a reality TV show on Shahid VIP that follows the life of Joelle, her husband and three beautiful children.
Khalid Al Ameri
Khalid Al Ameri is one of the best storytellers that you can find online. This is why it’s not surprising that he has amassed such a huge following on social media.
Coming from a multicultural family, Khalid gained the interest of many as he started to share his life and his family.
But Khalid is also making a huge difference by telling stories of real people, tackling social and cultural issues and promoting the importance of bringing the world together.
This Emirati-American entrepreneur together with his wife has captured the hearts of millions for their fresh and insightful content.
Today, Khalid is worth more than $2 million and he continues to gain more followers online.
How Khalid Al Ameri Started
Khalid Al Ameri was born and raised in Abu Dhabi to a Scottish mother and Emirati father.
After graduating at the American International School in Abu Dhabi, Khalid moved to the United States to study at Stanford University for his MBA.
But after discovering his passion for storytelling, Khalid decided to pursue journalism where he eventually became Middle Eastern correspondent for CNN.
He also worked for the UAE government for a number of years until he eventually pursued content creation.
His main goal for creating content is to show that it’s possible to coexist harmoniously even if you come from different households.
Khalid wanted to promote love around the world, but he also made sure to tackle important issues that he knew needed awareness.
He even created a Facebook Group named “Khalid’s World Group” where members can share their own stories and find ways to help each other.
Khalid Al Ameri even tugged heartstrings when he chose to share his son’s autism and opened up his family life.
In the middle of their humorous skits and videos, Khalid and his wife told their struggles as a family and how they go about their daily lives.
This made Khalid one of the most popular influencers in Dubai and the rest of the Middle East.
He also offered a refreshing perspective into the life of an Emirati that helped people understand the culture better.
What Message Does Khalid Al Ameri Want to Share?
Khalid Al Ameri’s success has been primarily because of his authenticity.
While it’s not easy to open your life to the world, Khalid knew that this will make a difference in understanding his culture and making people more appreciative of other cultures too.
When asked what message he wanted to share to other content creators who want to follow after his success, Khalid said:
“It’s important to also find one’s passion, but it isn’t something that you just find or stumble upon. That’s not how the world works.
You need to find your passion, which is a process of elimination. It means doing things that you don’t want to do until you find what you want to do.”
Kris Fade
If you’ve heard of Netflix’s hit show Dubai Bling, then you probably know Kris Fade.
The Australian-Lebanese influencer is one of the most popular radio presenters in Dubai.
His breakfast show called “The Kris Fade Show” on Virgin Radio Dubai and KISS Network in Australia has a huge following.
Kris also gained more social media followers when he starred on the reality show Dubai Bling with his now wife Brianna Ramirez Fade.
Kris Fade is also a successful entrepreneur with a line of healthy snacks and vitamins being sold in Dubai and the UAE.
How Kris Fade Started
Kris Fade’s parents are Lebanese but were living in Australia even before Kris was born.
In his pursuit to find the right career, Kris cleaned toilets, washed cars and made coffee in Australia.
By accident, Kris landed on radio where he became a promotional driver for the Edge 96.1 radio station in Sydney.
He eventually became a radio host and a few years later, he flew to Dubai with just $3,500 in his pocket with a plan to stay in the city for just two years.
Kris started the Virgin Radio Dubai station in 2008 and his show became an instant hit.
Since then, Kris Fade became a popular influencer in Dubai amassing thousands of followers online and offline.
Today, Kris is the number one radio host in all of Dubai making him a millionaire.
Kris Fade gained more popularity when he starred in Dubai Bling with his then fiance Brianna. In fact, their wedding was one of the most watched episodes of the show.
But aside from being a famous celebrity in Dubai, Kris Fade also owns Fade Fit, a line of healthy food, snacks, drinks and even scooters that’s selling well in Dubai.
What Motivates Kris Fade?
Kris Fade took a risk by moving to Dubai to pursue his passion, and it paid off.
When asked if there’s a quote that he lives by, he said: “They tried to bury me. They didn’t know I was a seed.”
“I have this quote tattooed on the right side of my chest. This quote reminds me that you can be pushed deep down into the ground.
People will tell you things that you don’t want to hear: they can make you feel horrible and ashamed of yourself.
But guess what – if you’re a seed, what you’ll eventually do under that darkness is to take roots and find a way to the sunlight above.”