Entrepreneur Middle East’s Healthcare Visionaries 2026: Joelle Mardinian, Founder and CEO, Joelle Group

This article is part of Entrepreneur Middle East’s Special Healthcare Visionaries 2026 issue.

Joelle Mardinian is one of the Arab world’s most iconic and influential women. A visionary entrepreneur, celebrated television personality, and beauty mogul, she has built a presence that reaches across television, business, and social media, with more than 33 million followers across all platforms. Few figures in the region command the same blend of commercial success and public affection, and fewer still have sustained that standing across almost two decades.

Her Achievements

Mardinian’s commercial achievements center on Joelle Group, the beauty empire she founded and leads as Chief Executive. Built over the past decade, the group now brings together four successful businesses. The journey began in 2008 with her first beauty salon, Maison de Joelle, which has since grown to 15 branches across the MENA region, including Dubai, Al Ain, Riyadh, Jeddah, KAUST, Doha, Tunisia, Kurdistan, Erbil, Algeria, Amman, and Irbid.

In 2013, Mardinian widened her ambition with Clinica Joelle, a cosmetic clinic that was awarded Best Cosmetic Program at the 9th World Health Tourism Congress in 2014. The clinic has since expanded to 10 branches across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Amman, Irbid, Egypt, Qatar, and Palestine. The same year she introduced Joelle Paris, a skin and hair care brand founded on her philosophy of healthy, radiant hair and skin. It is now stocked by leading retailers and pharmacies throughout the Middle East and sold through a worldwide online store, with its first standalone shop opening in Kurdistan in May 2018.

Her more recent ventures show the same instinct for timing. EyeCandy Joelle, a contact lenses brand, launched in March 2020 and quickly became a must-have among beauty bloggers and celebrities, and is now available in beauty and optical stores across the MENA region. She is also the founder of Dabdub, a baby toiletry brand offering safe, clean, and fabulous products at an accessible price. She is also the recipient of multiple accolades in the region, recognizing her achievements and celebrity status attained in the Middle East, and a testament to her exceptional leadership, creativity, and lasting impact on the beauty and entrepreneurship landscape.

In the Media

Alongside her businesses, Mardinian is the most beloved and respected female television personality among Arab audiences worldwide. Her landmark makeover show, Joelle, aired on MBC1 for an extraordinary 14 consecutive years, followed by Beauty Match, which ran for two successful seasons on MBC4. Her most recent on-screen project, Joelle Unfiltered, the first Arab reality show of its kind, reached the Top 10 on Shahid VIP for five consecutive weeks. Her podcast series, Min Alb Joelle, extends her voice still further, addressing bold and taboo subjects to empower women with the conversations they have always wanted but never had.

Her appeal has also made her a trusted partner for international brands. Since 2005, she has served as a regional ambassador for names including Evian, Braun, Scholl, Bose, and Dyson, and has appeared in global television commercials for Max Factor and Pantene.

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