| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Abaya Engineer |
| Other Name(s) | • Dr. Sara Al Madani • H.E. Sara Al Madani • Her Excellency Sara Al Madani |
| Profession(s) | • Author • Businesswoman • Entrepreneur • Fashion Designer • Model • Public Speaker |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5'6" (168 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
| Career | |
| Debut | Reality TV Show: The Real Housewives of Dubai (2022) on Bravo as main cast |
| Awards, Honours | • Emirati entrepreneur of the year award at the SME Stars of Business Awards (October 2011) • Young Designer of the Year award at the L'Officiel Arab Woman Awards (February 2012)  • Patron's Appreciation Award for innovation in the fashion industry at the Emirates Woman Awards (April 2012)  • Best strategic and financial planning award at the Emirates Woman Awards (July 2013) • Ecosystem Influencer award at the Enterprise Agility Awards (2016)  • Ecosystem Influencer of the Year Award (2017) • GCC Inspiring Women Leaders award (April 2018) • Leading Emirati Mompreneur award by Mompreneur (May 2018)  • Woman in Business Award by IWEC (September 2018) • The Middle East Women Leadership Award by World HRD Congress (October 2018)  • Women of Substance award by Khaleej Times (November 2018)  • Women Empowerment award by the AsiaOne Magazine (2018)  • Honorary Doctorate Degree of Business Administration in Woman Leadership for her outstanding work in encouraging and inspiring women in the UAE to take leadership positions in a society from the Eton University, UAE (2018)  • Eminent Guest Award by the AsiaOne Magazine (May 2019) • Black Swan Award for Women Empowerment by AsiaOne Magazine (May 2019)  • Serial Entrepreneur of the Year by the American Aesthetic Center (2019) • Most influential leader by AsiaOne Magazine (2020) • Most Influential Young Leaders award by the AsiaOne Magazine (2021)  • Most Influential Young Leaders award by the AsiaOne Magazine (July 2023)  • Selected as one of the Asia's 100 Women Power Leaders from the UAE at the White Page Leadership Conclave (2023)  • Pride of UAE Award by Herald Global (2023) • Motivational Influencer of the Year award by FilmFare (2023) • Women Empowerment Principles Leadership Award by the AsiaOne Magazine (2024)  |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 20 January 1986 (Monday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 39 Years |
| Birthplace | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| School | Sharjah American International School, UAE (1997-2003) |
| College/University | American University of Sharjah, UAE |
| Educational Qualification | Studied film direction and acting, but dropped out in the third year |
| Religion | Islam |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Travelling, Collecting Sneakers |
| Tattoo(s) | Across her body- |
| Controversies | • Criticised for her spiritual healing business In 2024, during an episode of the tv show, The Real Housewives of Dubai, she revealed her spiritual healing business and her business partner, Alexander Yasin. The viewers criticised the authenticity of the spiritual business, high charge of the retreat, and Alexander Yasin's controversial claim of curing cancer through their healing sessions. |
| Social Media | • Instagram • YouTube |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Akin Fontana (Model) |
| Marriage Date | First Marriage - 2013-2014 Second Marriage - Year, 2019 |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Second Husband- Mustafa Khawaja (m.2019-div.2019; Entrepreneur) |
| Children | Son- Maktoum |
| Parents | Father- Abdulwahab Almadani (Director Energy at Emirates Global Aluminium ) Mother- Asma Al Madani (Teacher)  |
| Siblings | Brother- Hamad Al Madani (Engineer) Sister- Hind Al Madani |
| Favourites | |
| Holiday Destination(s) | Paris, Thailand |
| Fashion Designer | Alexander McQueen |
| Cuisine | Middle Eastern |
| Restaurant | Milas, Dubai |
| Film | The Notebook (2004) |
| Book | The Secret (2006) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Sara Al Madani
- Her father is from Bahrain, while her mother is from the United Arab Emirates.
- She was born in Dubai but grew up in Ajman and Sharjah.
- She was diagnosed with dyslexia during her childhood.
- She began her entrepreneurial journey at the age of around 15 when she founded Rouge Couture (now Sara Al Madani Fashion Design presents Rouge Couture) in 2002, which specialises in custom-made abayas for women.
- She talked about having an entrepreneurial spirit since her childhood and financing her business herself in an interview by doing several jobs, including modelling and said,
I did odd jobs. I took part in public events. I also did some modelling. Over time, I had saved Dh25,000, and I put it all into my business. I ran errands for family members, and bought candy from shops and sold it at a higher price to family and friends to make the money. I always had that entrepreneurial spirit.”
- In an interview, she revealed that she dropped out of college to focus on the growth of her business.
- She has served as a brand ambassador for various companies, including Natura Bisse (2013), Beiersdorf (2014), and NIVEA Invisible Black & White (2015) and has collaborated with various international brands such as L’Oréal, Apple, Cartier, Bentley, Dubai Tourism, Samsung, and Braun.
Sara Al Madani posing with NIVEA Invisible Black & White deodorant
- In 2013, one of her businesses, in collaboration with a friend, failed. She revealed in an interview that after she received a phone call from police who informed her that her checks had bounced, she learned that she had become bankrupt due to the failure of her business.
- She was selected by Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed, Ruler of Sharjah, to serve as a board member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry from March 2014 to July 2020, making her the youngest member of the board.
Sara Al Madani during a meeting with fellow board members of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- She served as a board member of the UAE SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) Council under the Ministry of Economy, UAE, from May 2015 to July 2020.
Sara Al Madani during a UAE SME Council Board Meeting
- As a board member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, she led the shjSEEN initiative launched in February 2016, which aimed at strengthening the culture of quality, organisational excellence and innovation in Sharjah.
- In 2016, she partnered with Sharjah-based entrepreneur Haleema Al Owaisin and opened Shabarbush, a Mamzar-based café named after London’s suburb Shepherd’s Bush.
Sara Al Madani with Haleema Al Owaisin at Shabarbush café
- In 2017, she co-founded a digital marketing agency, Social Fish, in Dubai.
- She helped create a 12-Emirates desk calendar for 2018, which highlighted 12 inspiring Emirati women, with the help of her friends.
- In 2020, she co-founded HalaHi, an app that allows fans to request personalised video messages from celebrities. She serves as the CEO of the company.
- She works as a philanthropist and became a UAE Global Goodwill Ambassador for Smile Train in 2022.
- She is a sneakerhead and collects sneakers.
- She is a founder of ‘The Amara Experience,’ a retreat she started alongside ‘The LightForce Center’ that helps to heal people from within in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Sara Al Madani in a poster of The Amara Experience retreat
- In 2022, she joined the cast of the American reality TV show ‘The Real Housewives of Dubai.’ In its second season in 2024, she revealed an alleged kidnapping plot involving her former maid, who had secretly shared photos and personal details of her son, Maktoum, with unknown men.
- She is a tattoo enthusiast and has more than 168 tattoos across her body.
- She is the founder of Proposal Cupid, an events management company specialising in proposals, engagements and weddings.
- She has delivered more than 250 keynote speeches worldwide on entrepreneurship and empowerment and has delivered talks at four TEDx events
Sara Al Madani delivering her speech during a TEDx event at Skyline University College, Sharjah
- She is a serial entrepreneur and owns 9 businesses in various fields. She serves as a partner at the beauty company, Kind & Co.
- She serves as a partner at Hulatek, a Los Angeles-based technology and production company which deals in games, software, hardware and robotics. She’s also a partner at the financial firm, Cahero Holding.
- She is the founder of Aleksma, a concept electric hypercar and Helloo Gorgeous, an at-home beauty service.
- She is one of the most celebrated UAE-based entrepreneurs, having received more than 140 awards as of 2024.
- In 2024, she claimed during an interview that she had ended her relationship with Akin Fontana, accusing him of controlling her and trying to exploit her fame for personal gain.
- She further revealed that she had hired a private investigator to uncover Akin Fontana’s past, as he would often accuse her of unfaithfulness and joined a WhatsApp group with his ex-partners to gather evidence, claiming to have incriminating information against him.
- On 14 April 2025, she published her book, ‘Dear Narcissist: F*ck You : (Your Closure Is This Book The No-BS Manual for Spotting, Escaping, and Healing from Narcissistic Abuse).’
Sara Al Madani with her book, Dear Narcissist: Fck You: (Your Closure Is This Book The No-BS Manual for Spotting, Escaping, and Healing from Narcissistic Abuse)
