Nada Bashaen, Ghizlan Guenez, Sally Moussa Hajjar and Marmar Al Hilali talk female power and working in the UAE

Jessica Michault & Marie Meyer

Generosity, drive, desire and grace are an unstoppable combination. These four women are living proof of that fact...

There’s something undeniably extraordinary about women. Individually, their strength, resilience, and creativity are a force to be reckoned with. But when they come together, women are pretty much invincible. That is exactly what occurred when Nada Bashaen, Ghizlan Guenez, Sally Moussa Hajjar and Marmar Al Hilali all turned up at Banyan Tree Dubai resort for this shoot.

The four women, some friends, and some meeting for the first time, connected immediately. It‘s always impressive to watch the bonds of female friendship form. It has an almost alchemical quality – transforming challenges into triumphs and dreams into reality. It transcends words and is grounded in empathy, shared experiences, and a mutual desire to see one another thrive.

Clockwise from top: Sally Moussa Hajjar is wearing a straight-fit jacket with a short dress embellished with jet embroidery; Marmar Al Hilali combines a front-tying short blazer jacket with a cashmere sweater and skirt; Nada Bashaen pairs a black sweater with a straight-fit skirt featuring a tying bow at the waist; Ghizlan Guenez sports a Fisherman’s rib-knit funnel neck dress and a long wide skirt. All by Max Mara

This manifested itself on the shoot first as the women tried on looks from the latest Max Mara collection, supporting each other‘s sartorial choices, giving feedback on how a form-fitting sweater dress looked amazing on Guenez, or the way the new double-breasted Olimpia jacket gave some classic gravitas to a daring sleeveless shorts playsuit that Bashaen snapped up. Later there was cheerleading from the sidelines as each woman took their turn for their individual shots and finally when all four women joined together for their group photos, the laughter, the hugs and yes the selfies were unending.

Each of these women is a powerhouse in their own right. Hajjar has built one of the most influential talent management and creative marketing agencies in the region. Al Hilali is a very successful architect and interior designer whose goal is to create spaces that build community. Guenez has spent her career looking to empower women, most recently with her personal development and entrepreneurship platform – FForce. And Bashaen, besides her job as the co-host of the popular talk show Kalam Nawaem, is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded a number of wellness-focused businesses.

When women like these converge, they don’t just move mountains – they build bridges, create opportunities, and inspire generations. Their collective power isn’t just remarkable; it’s transformative, proving time and again that together, women don’t just survive. They thrive.