The Kitchen with Mouna Abbassy Ahmed El Gamal Aleena Khan
The Kitchen with Mouna Abbassy Ahmed El Gamal Aleena Khan
Feb 20, 2025 7:00 PM
Feb 2025
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Price: AED
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ABOUT THIS EVENT
Step into The Kitchen, where groundbreaking ideas are stirred, bold stories are shared, and industry game-changers come together to cook up inspiration. In this first edition, we spotlight the beauty industry's most innovative minds who are transforming the way we see, celebrate, and define beauty.
Get ready for an evening of candid, unscripted conversations with three extraordinary founders who are rewriting the rules of beauty: blending heritage with modernity, breaking barriers, and championing representation.
Mouna Abbassy is the visionary founder of Izil Beauty, a brand born from her deep pride in Moroccan heritage and a desire to share the transformative power of natural skincare with the world. After a successful marketing career, Mouna Abbassy identified a gap in the market for effective, chemical-free skincare. In 2012, she launched Izil Beauty, blending ancestral Moroccan beauty rituals with modern science to create natural skincare solutions.
Her journey began with a simple mission: to empower women to embrace their natural beauty and connect with themselves through time-honoured rituals. Today, izil has grown into a celebrated beauty brand with a flagship store and spa in The Dubai Mall, offering luxurious products and experiences inspired by Moroccan traditions.
Mouna’s dedication to excellence has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition from the Cartier Women’s Initiative, Vogue Middle East, Forbes, and Images Retail Middle East. With izil, she blends nature, science, and heritage, creating a brand that celebrates confidence and well-being.
After starting his career as an architect, Ahmed El Gamal transitioned into digital marketing and communications. With over 15 years of experience, Ahmed has worked across a plethora of global brands at BBDO & Proximity, followed by Emaar and MetLife. His expertise spans various industries, including tourism, hospitality, real estate, and financial services from regional and global corporate offices. He is currently leading Global Resort Marketing as the Senior Director of Marketing at Jumeirah Group in Dubai and is an Executive MBA graduate from IE Business School where he was recognized on the Dean's List and inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. He is also a partner in an e-commerce startup, Mr. Regimen, that specializes in men's personal grooming and wellness and authors a weekly marketing newsletter titled The Modern Marketer. Ahmed has been actively involved in various industry events, including moderating and speaking at panels such as The Marketing Society, Seamless, Global MarTech Summit, and IE Business School. Ahmed's commitment to education and fostering lifelong learning is evident after recently completing the Mastering Design Thinking program at MIT Sloan School of Management. He was a judge for the Dubai Lynx Creative Student Hackathon, reflecting his dedication to nurturing young talent in the marketing field, and a jury member at Campaign's Agency of the Year, Athar, and The Drum, to name a few. Ahmed's diverse interests and dynamic career make him a notable figure in the marketing industry. Ahmed also currently holds the title of Alumni President & Board Chair for the IE University UAE Alumni Chapter
dedicated to reimagining representation in the beauty industry. As co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of the Tik-Tok viral, award-winning homegrown makeup brand CTZN Cosmetics, Aleena's forward-thinking approach has paved an entirely new destination within the beauty sector that previously never existed. CTZN Cosmetics is the first brand championing the intersection of Beauty meets Culture. As seen on Forbes, CTZN reinvented the popular Get Ready with Me format by creating Culture-Torial™️, Get Ready with Me while I teach you about my culture! For the first time, you can learn about culture through a makeup brand's platform - taking inclusivity and diversity to a deeper level beyond shade range and campaign casting. CTZN Cosmetics’ founders identify as pigment perfectionists creating One-Swipe Wonders that show up beautifully on all complexions. A global CTZN at her core, Aleena was born in Los Angeles, raised in the Middle East, and is ethnically South Asian. Aleena is a graduate from the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelors Degree in Business.
Zahra Lyla Khalil: Storyteller, Creative Director & Digital Entrepreneur
Born and raised in Dubai, Zahra Lyla Khalil is a celebrated fashion, lifestyle, and creative content pioneer known for her sophisticated approach to digital storytelling and passion for meaningful narratives.
Her time in London, where she pursued her Master’s degree, played a pivotal role in shaping her creative instincts and refining her storytelling skills. This foundation led to a flourishing career where Zahra collaborated with some of the world’s most iconic luxury brands, including Cartier, Dior, and Louis Vuitton.
Zahra also served as an editor at Vogue Arabia, where she was instrumental in launching the 22nd edition of the magazine in the Middle East. Her editorial expertise brought fresh perspectives to the region’s fashion narrative and solidified her reputation as a thought leader in the industry.
Recognizing the need for dynamic and authentic content strategies, Zahra launched The Other Agency in late 2019, a content creation and social media agency dedicated to helping brands humanize their social presence via tailor-made digital storytelling. Her agency has become a trusted partner for luxury brands across the region.
Zahra’s voice extends beyond social media and creative consulting. In 2021, she co-launched the podcast Candid with Haneen & Zahra, where she engages in meaningful conversations with inspiring individuals from the Middle East, shining a light on their mental health journeys and personal growth stories.
With a blend of cultural insight, creative innovation, and entrepreneurial drive, Zahra continues to be a leading voice in the region's creative and digital landscape.