Amazing businesses led by women in Qatar. 24 November, 2020

Amazing businesses led by women in Qatar.

UPDATED: July 2021

So I have been thinking. Mostly about my future and how to steer my career now that I found myself without a job. I feel free, but honestly have no idea which direction to go. Diving into this subject made me think of all the amazing, talented, and passionate women out there who managed to turn their hobbies into profitable businesses. Ladies who I really look up to and hope that one day I will be brave enough to follow their path (once I figure out what is it exactly that I want to do, of course ๐Ÿ˜€ ).

What is not really fair is that most of those very same ladies do not have the power to market their businesses and products as efficiently as the big corporations do. Many gain new customers mostly via the “word of mouth”, many are yet to be discovered by a broader public. Thinking about this lead me to an idea to use my blog as a platform to showcase their work. And so the directory of women-led businesses was created! ๐Ÿ™‚

What criteria did I use for the listings?

— A business that has been established or is led by a woman (preferably both!).

— One that I have used myself and was very happy with, or…

— …one that another happy customer recommended to me.

I’ve divided the listings into categories, making it easier for everyone to find things that they need or are interested in.

Note 1: this list is by no means complete! If you’re aware of any other amazing businesses out there, please drop me a message and I’ll make sure to include them!

Note 2: I put this list together under the assumption that all listed businesses are operating legally, however, you should be aware that I have no way to check this by myself.

food

Sweet.

Burnt.qa – rumor has it it’s the best Burnt Basque Cheesecake you can get in Doha! Also known for their delicious tiramisu.

ButterUp – Aysha & Soonam live by the principle that a dessert makes everything better and I couldn’t agree more! Their signature are milkcakes, but lots of other great options on the menu as well.

Cheesecakeory – a place to go if you’re after delicious homemade baked cheesecakes, made with the highest quality ingredients and a variety of toppings.

D’licious by D – Dina bakes delicious customized sweet treats, and is well-known for her themed birthday party sweet setups.

Dessert Zone – a wide selection of homemade decadent desserts, from cakes and cupcakes to puddings, trifles and festive delicacies.

Euphoria Delights – Kat is a busy mama of 2, has a full-time job in finance AND is a qualified pastry chef! Her sweets are my personal favorites and she’s known for unexpected (and amazing!) flavor combinations.

Just Frosted – customized cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more, to satisfy your sweet cravings.

Lina’s Cakes – delicious cakes, bakes and cupcakes for everyone! And I mean in – Lina offers plenty of vegan and gluten free options, too!

Moon Sweety – lavish and highly addictive cakes that will make you come back for more!

Portugal Sweets For You – a real gem in Doha, homemade traditional Portuguese sweets which I tried & loved! Also available are special Weekend Boxes with mixed pastries, which is an amazing idea.

Sara’s Sweet Treats – sweet treats for all the occasions! Distinguished by their gorgeous designs, and very yummy, too!

Tamara’s Kitchen – Tamara specializes in creating sweet boxes for every occasion! Her treats are not only delicious, but also visually pleasing. Currently accepting orders for Christmas treat boxes!

Savory.

CK Siomai Qatar – homemade siomai, and more delicious savory treats! All taste great and are very reasonably priced too.

Sit Beit – provides an easy and fast solution to cooking traditional Arabic recipes! Ready to cook food in pouches, available in retail stores across Doha.

Both!

Affs Healthy Kitchen / Go Nuts – it all started with home-made nut butters. Now, Afshan is offering a wide variety of yummy treats, sweet and savory alike.

Pastrybonbon – pies and pastry goodies deriving from Romanian tradition, made with passion and tasting divine.

The Happy Grass Roots Kitchen – homemade, artisan, fresh & nutritious items. A wide variety of baked, raw food and sourdough!

fashion

Clรณ Sunlight Apparel – my newest discovery! Amazing handmade clothes, distinguished by their vibrant colors and lovely patterns, made with great quality materials. Not only beautiful, but also really comfy!

Coral Haze – a truly unique business idea! Coral Haze sells beautiful premium handcrafted Jutti (super comfy shoes).

Deeply Loved – an online boutique with a wide selection of women’s clothing. Their kaftans are beautifully designed and comfortable, too!

Elisabietta – a well-loved boutique selling shoes and accessories which are not only gorgeous, but also sustainable & ethically made. What is also really important: Elisabietta is actively supporting women empowerment!

Kaftan by Shabna Shahid – Shabna manufactures gorgeous kaftans! You could get them customized as well (for example: mother & daughter matching kaftans).

Nayab Hijabs – a must-see extensive collection of beautiful hijabs and modest wear, which are custom designed!

Pineapples & Dragonflies – a boutique of gorgeous feminine styles inspired by wanderlust & empowered by individualism. Each piece of clothing is wonderfully unique.

Sandunga Boutique – an online boutique for ladies established by a Colombian expat. Lovely, colorful clothes suited for all tastes! A very impressive choice of items and amazing quality.

babies & kids

Clothes & accessories.

A Petite Story – an online concept shop, focusing on handmade accessories & curated goods for the little ones. Adorable handmade baby hair accessories and many other lovely items!

Hana’s Baby World – customized handmade pacifier clips and teethers, made with love using safe silicone and wooden beads.

Mummymoon – Goda owns & runs this luxury fashion for kids & young adults store. She’s based in Qatar, but already managed to expand her business abroad. The clothes are very unique, handcrafted and extremely creative!

The Chew Baby Company – beautiful, modern and natural accessories for babies made from non-toxic organic materials. An impressive selection and gorgeous designs.

Play & learn.

BookBag – one of my favorite online businesses in Qatar ๐Ÿ™‚ A wide selection of books for babies and children with very competitive prices! Frequently updated list of titles and great customer service!

Doha Montessori Shop – a place to shop for everything Montessori! A big variety of educational equipment made using natural wood and child-friendly non-toxic paint.

Play Atelier – a great range of wooden toys and creative kits for children to get busy with! Supporting your little one’s learning & development in the best possible way.

Precious Planks – a unique kids’ concept online store, bringing in quality children products from all over the world. Each and every piece of item here has been carefully curated for the modern parent.

Treehaus Qatar – gorgeous handmade and locally-inspired wooden puzzles for children. Beautiful in their simplicity and bringing hours of fun for your little one!

Other.

Dreamy Dazed – it’s all about personalization! Dreamy Dazed sells personalized storybooks, felt name buntings, nursery decor, zipper rompers, and many other baby essentials.

Label Lions – your one-stop-shop for gorgeous personalized labels! I’ve been using their products for years and can vouch for the quality (and visual appeal ๐Ÿ™‚ ).

Littlegoodies.qa – Raushan made a name for her business selling a wide variety of amazing baby & children’s items, as well as unique and well-thought gifts/souvenirs. A lovely person with a true passion for what she does!

Little Learners Nursery – Sarah is the proud founder of Little Learners Nursery. She opened it without any external funding, and in 5 years of hard work she has managed to grow it into one of the most popular & reputed British nurseries in Doha!

Mini Me Doha – a very needed kind of business: the ultimate baby & toddler equipment hire service. From car seats and travel cots to strollers and highchairs. Free delivery and collection. High-end brands you know and trust.

handcraft

Accessories.

Leatzi – an online business set up by jewelry enthusiasts located in Doha. They create special & customized designs using all kinds of jewelry.

L’etoile Filante – Fanny makes amazing accessories, and her face masks (for both adults and kids) are comfortable and gorgeous.

Mimi’s Beauty – a comprehensive boutique for health & beauty silk accessories! Can’t wait to try them.

Sylvie Van Roey – Sylvie specializes in beautiful handmade bracelets with natural gemstones and 925 silver.

Home decor.

Enjoy the Little Things – a great shop for all kinds of handmade home decor! Homemade signs, pictures, photo holders , planters and many other items. Lots of Christmas decor is available too!

Knot by Heba – if you’re a fan of macrames, this is your place to shop! Wall hangings, plant hangers, dream catchers and many more. All handmade and beautiful!

Olive & Co Design Studio – unique, customized gifts, hand made with love. A wide selection of gorgeous laser-cut signs, ornaments, and more!

The Feel of Scandinavia – a wide selection of all kinds of lovely home decor, inspired by Scandinavian style!

Triple C’s Crochet Corner – gorgeous custom-made crochet items, manufactured with love by a lady with over 20 years of crocheting experience!

Yosh Studio – Yosh is a self-taught artist/designer, creating amazing art focusing on geometric designs, natural flow and aspects, and folksy details.

Other.

Artesana – if you ever thought about trying wood craft yourself, Artesana is where you start. They specialize in DIY wood craft kits, as well as creative & hands-on educational boxes for kids.

Bits and Bows – an online shop specializing in handcrafted items as well as personalizing ordinary objects! Their personalized hand sanitizer bottles are a hit!

Enchanted Strings – Jesfaine creates unique pre-made & custom-made string art keepsakes. Handmade and perfect as a gift or home decor pieces!

Name It – Name It is the place to go for unique and lovely party decorations! Also available are home decorations, vinyl stickers and other custom made crafts.

Queen B Doha – Belinda creates personalized animated art, a perfect memory of your time spent in the Middle East, or a gift for your loved ones!

What Rachel Did Next – Rachel is a graphic designer who makes gorgeous greeting cards. Visit her page for some lovely Christmas cards which are a big hit! All Rachel’s cards are eco-friendly, too!


health and beauty

Skincare & makeup.

Al Nahl Lifestyle – Simeen specializes in handmade all-natural beauty products, striving to become a zero-waste company soon!

Bara Bloom – a place to visit if you’re looking for homemade lip oils, lip gloss, natural headache relief oils and balms. All their products are vegan & cruelty free!

Boxxbabe – a unique in Qatar concept of beauty boxes containing five or more random beauty products that remain a mystery until you open it!

Love Lavishly – Anju is creating amazing handmade soaps that come in all shapes and sizes! Perfect as a gift, and for your own pleasure.

The Makeup Book – Shaz is a certified MUA & Beauty Blogger and her page is a place to go for beauty news & tips, as well as honest products reviews. She also gives make-up classes!

The Walk In Closet – an online Asian beauty store selling cosmetics, spa products & beauty tools of amazing quality. Free delivery on orders over QAR 100 is available!

Natural medicine.

The Holistic Medicine Cabinet – your one-stop-shop for natural immunity boosters! All-natural and homemade syrups, gummies, and other concoctions with no preservatives, fake colors, or added sugar.

Other.

Anne Marie Froud – Forever Living – a great online shop AND online community (yes, Anne Marie has her own VIP Facebook group!) for all the Forever Living product lovers out there!

Beauty by Liyana – Liyana is ITEC, CIBTAC, CIDESCO qualified therapist with 17 years of experience. She’s known for her amazing massages & facials, as well as other services such as lash lifts & extensions, and waxing.

Inspire Me by Elizabeth Wood – Elizabeth supports her clients to live out their best lives, reach goals and results they have been seeking for a long time as well as re-frame limiting beliefs into positive action.

Warrior Fit Gym – Charlotte & her business partner have managed to open their own gym in Qatar with no local investor, in the middle of the pandemic. They have already created an amazing community of like-minded people, and their business is thriving! I’m looking forward to trying it myself.

photo & video

Alicja Kalinska Photography – Alicja is a professional European photographer, specializing in portraits (business & casual), maternity, newborns, family, kids and babies photography. I vouch for her work personally!

Juliette Sawyer Photography – Juliette is a professional photographer based in Qatar offering commercial & family specialized photography services.

Najla Nabil Photography – a versatile & creative photographer, specializing in personal portraits, creative portraits, headshots, as well as family and events photography.

Soigne Production – the very first fully female owned and managed photo and video production company in Qatar!

other

Dahabi Henna – an amazing henna artist in Qatar who makes and sells organic henna cones.

Inks and Crafts – watercolor and calligraphy artist, designer and mentor. Her art is one of my favorite things to look at on my Instagram feed ๐Ÿ™‚

Mean Girls Qatar – an eclectic online shop, specializing in handmade rattan bags, as well as Korean beauty products.

Qatar Home Deco – your one-stop-shop for the improvement of your home! In Qatar Home Deco you will find a wide selection of wallpapers, carpets, and wooden flooring.

Root.qa – a unique shop concept, selling low waste, ethically sourced products. All items are eco-friendly, sustainable, and cruelty-free.

The Tupperware Lady – Amina has launched an online platform that sells the globally renowned Tupperware products. Her product range includes preparation, storage, containment, on-the-go sets and serving products for family and home.

TriToppers – beautiful and unique cake toppers, banners and other party items. All custom-made to suit your needs!

Wa’hab – an award-winning and truly amazing initiative to fight food waste in Qatar! They partner with food outlets and other charities to collect excess food and donate it to the beneficiaries. They also aim to create awareness, reuse surpluses, and compost food waste.

coming soon...

Framed Carpet – a very unique business idea by Parvin. She will give you an opportunity to convert any photo or painting into a carpet that can be hanged on the wall. A great gift idea and an original way to decorate your house!

Thanks Mama – homemade baby food delivered to your doorstep, can be of great help for all the busy working mamas out there. Licensed by MOCI!

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