Mariam Almazourei has carved out a distinct space in the region’s beauty industry. Taking inspiration from beauty rituals rooted in the region, Mariam Em’s founder is shaping a brand that draws directly on Arab heritage. The Abu Dhabi-based entrepreneur reinterprets traditional Arabian ingredients and rituals through a modern, considered approach to skincare.
At the centre of the brand is Sidr, a native ingredient long valued for its nourishing and medicinal properties, reimagined through carefully developed formulations that prioritise simplicity, transparency and purpose. Rather than following trends or overcomplicating routines, MARIAM EM is grounded in a philosophy of mindful beauty, where each product serves a clear role within an intentional ritual. Here, Almazourei reflects on building a homegrown brand, the importance of cultural authenticity, and her vision for sharing the UAE’s beauty traditions with a global audience.
What inspired you to create MARIAM EM, and what gap did you feel was missing in the beauty and skincare market in the region?
The inspiration behind MARIAM EM was a desire to bring an ingredient — and a ritual — from the Arab world to a global audience. It was about creating something rooted in our heritage rather than borrowed from elsewhere.
Mariam Em draws inspiration from traditional Arabian ingredients and rituals. How important was it for you to create a brand rooted in regional heritage and cultural authenticity?
It is the foundation of MARIAM EM. Our hero ingredient and the inspiration behind the brand is the Sidr tree, native to this region and revered for centuries. We draw inspiration from many places, but everything comes back to Sidr. It is an ode to our heritage.
Mariam Em is built around holistic beauty and mindful skincare rituals. How would you describe the brand’s core vision and how it has evolved since launch?
The vision has always been to create mindful skincare, haircare and body care that is simple and holistic. MARIAM EM is not about filling a category with as many products as possible, it is about building minimal, intentional practices. We are not the ten-step routine. Every product we create has a purpose.
Your product range currently includes skincare solutions such as the Balance & Soothe Face Serum and Eyelash & Brow Serum. How did you decide on these initial categories, and what concerns were you aiming to address?
MARIAM EM’s inaugural product was the Eyelash & Brow Serum, born out of genuine frustration with the misleading products on the market. Before MARIAM EM existed, I was always searching for a serum free from prostaglandin analogues -the ingredient responsible for the fast, dramatic growth that many of these products promise, but which carries side effects that simply do not justify the result. I knew the first product I wanted to create had to rely on well-researched botanicals that support beautiful lashes and brows, without the compromise. The Balance & Soothe Face Serum followed, because the benefits of Sidr had not been captured in any face serum on the market – and I wanted to change that. We have more products on the way, but we are extremely meticulous when it comes to formulation. We will never rush a launch. A new category is coming soon!
Creating a beauty brand in the Middle East allows you to directly address regional skincare. How has being based in the UAE influenced your formulations and product development?
Every part of the world has its own needs, its own heritage, its own relationship with beauty. For too long, our region has been served by brands built elsewhere and adapted for here. MARIAM EM was built here – but what we found here, in our ingredients and our rituals, is something the whole world deserves access to. That is what global expansion means to us. Not adapting ourselves for other markets – but sharing what is ours with them.
The Middle East beauty industry is experiencing significant growth, with regional brands gaining international recognition. How do you see Mariam Em contributing to this evolving landscape?
MARIAM EM is not the first regional brand to reach for a global stage, and it certainly will not be the last. It makes me enormously proud to see Arab talent gaining international recognition. We are working hard to be part of that movement – and to make sure Sidr has a place in it.
As an Emirati entrepreneur, what makes you most proud to represent the UAE through your brand?
No matter how much you give back to your home country, it will always deserve more. Having Abu Dhabi’s name on every MARIAM EM product is the least I could do – so that when MARIAM EM becomes a globally recognised brand, the world knows exactly where it came from. That is what this means to me.
Many consumers today are looking for clean, thoughtful and culturally relevant beauty products. How important is sustainability and ingredient transparency to Mariam Em’s philosophy?
“Clean” is a misleading movement and one MARIAM EM does not subscribe to. It has no regulatory standards, which we believe makes it potentially dangerous for consumers who trust it at face value. Every ingredient we work with is scientifically studied and chosen on merit not to align with a trend. Transparency is non-negotiable for us. Our full ingredient lists are published on our website, and we actively educate our community about what goes into our formulas and why. We also take a considered approach to packaging — our products arrive in simple boxes whose sole purpose is to protect what is inside. We do not produce elaborate PR packaging designed for attention. That kind of waste has no place in how we operate.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while developing Mariam Em?
There are many challenges – enough to fill an entire book! But life, and building a business, is defined by how you respond to them. Research and development are expensive and unforgiving. Developing a single product means funding months of formulation work, waiting for samples, and then testing each one independently over an extended period. I lost count of how many times I fell in love with a sample, only for it to become unstable and must be rebuilt from scratch.
The truth is that bringing a perfect product to market can take years. And when you finally get there, the self-doubt does not disappear – a different kind of doubt sets in, the second-guessing. You start wondering whether the product actually works, whether people will connect with it and love it the way you do, or maybe you should tweak it one last time. Funding is another reality. MARIAM EM is self-funded, which means there is no margin for the kind of mistakes that larger, backed companies can absorb. And then there is the challenge of finding the right voices to amplify the brand – we have had content creators agree to test and review our products, receive them, and then go quiet without ever following through. Each of those situations is a financial loss we carry ourselves. These are not unique challenges, but they are real ones.
As Mariam Em continues to grow, are there new product categories or innovations you are particularly excited to explore?
Certainly!
We currently have around ten products in different stages of development across skincare, haircare, body care, and lifestyle. Haircare is launching very soon. And because no ritual is truly complete without candlelight, that category is also on its way.
What advice would you give to women looking to launch their own beauty or lifestyle brands?
You will doubt yourself. A lot. It’s part of the process. You’ll feel invisible next to brands that have been around for years. But those brands were invisible once too – every single one of them. My advice is to find people in your life who truly believe in you, and when that familiar voice in your head starts questioning everything, call them. They will cut through all the noise and bring you back to yourself.
Looking ahead, what would you still like to achieve with Mariam Em, and what is your long-term vision for the brand’s global expansion?
There are bigger plans – but I am keeping them close for now. The priority is bringing everything that is already in development to market first. Once that picture is complete, the longer vision will speak for itself.
By Lindsay Judge
