Who is Mona Kattan? Net Worth, Business, More
The glittery and dazzling lifestyle of the Middle East’s affluent socialites is back for another Netflix run. Dubai Bling season 2 was released on 13 December 2023 and has nearly the entire season 1 cast, along with a new addition, Mona Kattan. A beauty mogul, YouTuber, artist, fashion blogger, social media influencer and successful entrepreneur, Kattan stands out as one of the most prominent women among the cast members to watch out for.
If you enjoyed the luxurious lifestyles of some of the richest Asian Americans on Bling Empire (2021-2022), then Dubai Bling will have you all enchanted by their Middle-Eastern charm.
The first season aired in October 2022. Celebrities, business owners and influencers like Loujain Adada, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Kris Fade, Brianna Fade, Zeina Khoury and Lojain Omran were part of the cast. While they reprise their roles, Mona Kattan joins as the sole addition in the new season.
Mona Kattan: Net worth and everything to know about the new Dubai Bling star
Mona Kattan has a colossal net worth
Even before joining the cast of the reality show, Mona Kattan had garnered enough buzz with her business, fortune and luxury assets.
She is a successful businesswoman and a co-founder of one of the most well-known makeup brands — Huda Beauty. She also owns a line of natural fragrances called Kayali Perfume.
Handsome bills from such lucrative avenues have significantly added to her net worth. According to Grazia, the figure stands at around AED 370 million (about USD 100 million) to AED 740 million (over USD 200 million), making her the richest cast member on the Netflix show.
Kattan’s Iraqi roots and education
Born in Oklahoma, USA, to Iraqi parents in 1985, Kattan has two sisters — Huda, younger, and Alya, elder.
As reported by Grazia, she moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2003, where Kattan continued her high school education at the Sharjah American International School. She later enrolled at the American University of Sharjah and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Kattan then began a career in investment banking.
Speaking to Glamour, the Dubai Bling cast member said, “Moving to Dubai was a huge part of my inspiration behind starting the brand because although I’m originally Middle Eastern, I was really not connected to my roots at all.”
Mona Kattan and the rise of Huda Beauty
Mona Kattan currently serves as the Global President of Huda Beauty. It was in 2013 when she teamed up with her sisters to start the makeup line.
Huda, who was initially working in the finance sector, made fake lashes for Mona Kattan’s friends, which would often sell out. Once, when she couldn’t find lashes, the latter realised they could start their own lash line, according to Popsugar. And, the world-famous beauty and makeup brand was born as a lash line.
However, nothing happened overnight. Speaking to the publication, Kattan said, “Alya quit her job and invested all her money into this dream, and the three of us worked together.” They bettered the products and then pitched to a cosmetic company to mass-produce the lashes. Later, the Sephora Dubai Mall gave them a shot, and the rest is history.
Four years later, Huda Beauty is a full-fledged beauty and makeup company. According to Forbes, the brand earns about USD 200 million in annual sales. In 2017, private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners acquired a minority stake in the company for an undisclosed amount, taking its valuation to USD 1.2 billion.
The Kattan sisters share a great relationship, and it is from Huda that she picked up makeup intricacies. Mona told Glamour, “I think the one thing that Huda taught me that really helps me a lot was that less is more,” adding, “She’s very good at helping someone enhance their beauty.”
Mona Kattan’s own fragrance line
Not only is the Dubai Bling star a beauty aficionado, but she is also a self-proclaimed “perfume princess” and has her fragrance brand, Kayali, as part of the Huda Beauty conglomerate.
The perfume brand pays homage to Kattan’s Middle Eastern heritage with its exotic scents and bejewelled packaging. Her passion for fragrances and her sophisticated sense of smell for layering and mixing different notes have been a strong inspiration behind creating Kayali.
“Kayali means ‘my imagination’ in Arabic and is a real combination of my upbringing in the US and my Arabic heritage. Something that’s really common in the Middle East is the layering of your fragrances,” Kattan told Elle.
The brand has some scintillating perfumes that have found global takers — Kayali Déjà vu White Flower | 57, Elixir | 11, Citrus | 8, Musk | 12 and Vanilla |28. According to Elle, she has around 4,000 different perfumes.
Keeping up with the Kattan sisters before Dubai Bling
Dubai Bling season 2 is not the first reality show that Mona Kattan will feature in. In 2018, Mona Kattan and her sister, Huda, started a reality series on Facebook Watch called Huda Boss. The series, which lasted for two seasons, gives an account of their lives, work and what it takes to be at the helm of affairs of a family-run business.
In the series, Kattan takes viewers through her perfume closet and the creative process behind each fragrance.
Mona Kattan on Forbes lists and several magazine covers
Sisters Huda and Mona Kattan’s success has taken them to global recognition. Together, they topped Forbes’ list of 40 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2021. In 2023, Mona Kattan took the sixth spot on the 50 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2023.
In 2019, Mona Kattan received the Global Gift Women Empowerment Award in Dubai. The same year, the Fragrance Foundation Awards named her the Instagrammer of the Year.
She has graced many revered magazine covers, including Womenpreneur WWD, Entrepreneur Middle East and Cosmopolitan Middle East.
The fact that the sisters also have wax statues at Madame Tussauds Dubai in the fashion section goes on to testify their influence and celebrity status.
Who is Mona Kattan’s husband?
The Dubai Bling star started a whirlwind romance with Dubai-based entrepreneur Hassan Elamin in January 2021. They tied the knot on 22 February 2022, and the two share a lavish lifestyle as a power couple in the UAE.
In one of her YouTube videos, Kattan revealed they connected on Facebook before dating. Elamin’s sister and Mona read at the same university where they were friends. Back then, the couple was acquainted and remained friends before they started seeing each other in 2021.
As a mark of celebrating their first wedding anniversary, Kattan launched a pair of his and hers perfume called The Wedding. It has notes of sandalwood, white freesia, cedarwood and more.
According to Grazia, Elamin graduated with an MSc in Insurance and Risk Management from Bayes Business School, London. He worked as an account executive before becoming the Head of Facultative, Middle East, Africa and Türkiye at Aon Reinsurance Solutions. He currently works there.
He has two siblings, Sally and Ahmed Elamin, with whom he shares a close bond.
In 2019, Mona Kattan was engaged to timber trader and Posh Flooring director Dominic Nowell-Barnes. However, they called it quits in late 2020.
Mona Kattan advocates for self-love
The Huda Beauty global president also uses her star power and wide social media reach to promote self-love, speak about mental health and even raise her voice concerning socio-political events. Her motivating quotes are not heavy on philosophy; instead, they are quite relatable.
You can join her Instagram community of over three million or subscribe to her YouTube channel for all the updates and new content that takes you inside her life.
Inside Mona Kattan’s closet and lavish villa
With such a staggering net worth, it is natural for Mona Kattan to have a penchant for high-end things. From designer clothes to luxury handbags, her closet is nothing short of a dream.
From Hermès Birkin bags to Louis Vuitton boxing gloves, Kattan’s wardrobe has a range of luxury items. An array of Crocs to match every mood, a blingy Prada bag, innumerable sunglasses and a host of designer items from labels like Gucci, Yousef Aljasmi, Jonathan Simkhai, Alex Perry, Gianvito Rossi and René Caovilla, as well as Fashion Nova, make the closet a treasure trove of luxe brands.
In 2020, the Dubai Bling star gave Vogue Arabia a tour of her villa in the posh Palm Jumeirah fronds, overlooking the Atlantis resort. Just short of 1,500 sqm, the villa exudes a warm tropical charm.
A vibrant poolside seating arrangement, a grand piano, floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive open spaces, a jukebox, a Teckell T1 pink pool table, and quirky art-filled decor make the interiors a fun and relaxed space. Kattan’s massive closet and master bedroom are located on the third floor, offering the most wholesome views.
(Hero and feature image: Courtesy Mona Kattan Elamin/ @monakattan/ Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Is Mona Kattan joining Dubai Bling?
Mona Kattan is a new cast member of Dubai Bling season 2.
-What happened to Mona Kattan and Dom?
Kattan announced that she was no longer with Dominic Nowell-Barnes when she launched her YouTube channel in 2020. However, the reason is not clear.
-Who is Mona Kattan’s husband?
Dubai-based entrepreneur Hassan Elamin is Mona Kattan’s husband.
-Are Mona and Huda twins?
Mona and Huda Kattan are siblings and co-founders of Huda Beauty but are not twins.
This story first appeared here.
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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