Abeer Al Otaiba
40 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2021

Rank: 13

Abeer Al Otaiba

Brand: SemSem

Category: Fashion

Establishment: 2015

Nationality: Emirati

Headquarters: U.S.

Al Otaiba established her brand in the U.S. after working as a civil engineer in the U.A.E. The name SemSem was inspired by her young daughter, Samia, whose nickname is SemSem. Her designs have been worn by celebrities including Katy Perry, Blake Lively, Nicky Hilton, Halima, Kenza Fourati, and Gigi Hadid. In 2020, the company shifted its focus to digital sales, partnering with e-commerce companies Farfetch and Net-a-porter.