Life

Emirates Woman is marking forty-five years at the forefront of publishing in the Middle East this year, and it is doing so by opening entries for its Woman of the Year Awards 2026, a programme built around thirteen categories that honour the women who have shaped the region’s fashion, beauty and cultural landscape between November 2025 and September 2026. As the region’s leading voice in women’s fashion and lifestyle, the magazine has spent nearly half a century championing the extraordinary women shaping this region and beyond, and this year’s awards are designed to shine a light on those achieving remarkable success in their industries while embodying the values that define the Emirates Woman family, among them integrity, authenticity, excellence and grit.

Each of the thirteen categories will showcase eight nominees put forward for a public vote, with four finalists shortlisted from that pool before a jury of leading women from the region steps in to select a winner in each field. From those thirteen winners, one woman will ultimately be named Emirates Woman, Woman of the Year, crowning a process that draws together public support and expert judgement in equal measure.

The categories for 2026 are as follows

The Wellspring — Celebrating a woman whose calling is restoring balance in others.

The Curator — Celebrating a woman safeguarding and elevating culture as a champion of the arts.

The Visionary — Celebrating a woman whose creative vision leaves a lasting cultural footprint.

The Tastemaker — Celebrating a woman shaping how women present themselves to the world.

The Strategist — Celebrating a woman leading from within the system and driving structural change.

The Storyteller — Celebrating a woman whose voice inspires, informs, and endures.

The Maverick — Celebrating a woman who is the first through the door, blazing her own path forward.

The Standard-Bearer — Celebrating a woman setting the benchmark in fashion and jewellery.

The Changemaker — Celebrating a woman creating lasting impact and building community.

The Catalyst — Celebrating a woman transforming the way we live, move, and thrive.

The Vanguard — Celebrating a woman shaping fashion’s next generation.

The Alchemist — Celebrating a woman reimagining beauty through innovation and imagination.

The Innovator — Celebrating a woman redefining what’s possible.

Together, the thirteen categories reflect the wider Emirates Woman family celebrated on the page and beyond, and the winners will be revealed at a gala in November, where the magazine will bring its forty-fifth anniversary celebrations full circle with the women who have come to define it.

Stay tuned for further updates.

– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram

Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Supplied