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Mona Kattan

The fragrance obsessed co-founder of Huda Beauty who built Kayali into a global perfume brand and took full control of it in a landmark deal.

Mona Kattan, Co-founder of Huda Beauty; CEO of Kayali

Mona Kattan is an American businesswoman, based in Dubai, who co-founded the global cosmetics powerhouse Huda Beauty and founded the luxury fragrance brand Kayali. Born on May 8, 1985, Kattan helped turn her family's beauty venture into one of the most influential cosmetics companies in the world, then built Kayali into a fast growing perfume brand and, in a landmark 2025 deal, took full leadership control of it as a standalone company. She is also a familiar face to global audiences through the Netflix reality series Dubai Bling.

This profile covers who Mona Kattan is, her early life and education, the founding of Huda Beauty, the creation and independence of Kayali, her net worth, her personal life and her current role.

Early Life and Education

Mona Kattan was born on May 8, 1985, into an Iraqi American family in the United States. She and her sisters, including Huda and Alya, grew up between American and Middle Eastern cultures, an upbringing that would later shape a beauty brand with truly global appeal. Mona developed an early and lasting passion for fragrance in particular, a love of scent that became central to her career.

She pursued higher education and early professional experience before joining her sisters in the venture that would make the family famous, bringing a strong interest in the business and operational side of beauty.

Co-founding Huda Beauty

In 2013, Mona Kattan co-founded Huda Beauty alongside her sisters, with Huda Kattan as the public face and beauty authority and the family building a business around her expertise and enormous online following. The brand began with false eyelashes and quickly expanded into a full range of cosmetics, riding the rise of social media and influencer driven beauty.

Huda Beauty grew with remarkable speed into one of the most successful independent beauty companies in the world, generating very large revenues and attracting major investment. Within the family business, Mona played a central role in operations, retail strategy and the expansion of the company's product lines, helping translate her sister's influence and creativity into a scalable global brand.

Founding and Leading Kayali

Mona Kattan's signature personal venture is Kayali, the fragrance brand she founded in 2018, initially as part of the Huda Beauty group. Drawing on her lifelong obsession with perfume, she built Kayali around layered, expressive scents designed to be mixed and personalized, a concept that resonated strongly with younger fragrance buyers around the world.

Kayali grew into one of the standout success stories in the modern fragrance market. In 2025, in a major development, Kayali became a standalone company, with the global private equity firm General Atlantic acquiring a significant stake, while Mona Kattan continued as chief executive with greater ownership and control of the brand she created. The deal marked her transition from co-founder within a family group to the independent leader of a substantial company in her own right.

Mona Kattan Net Worth

Mona Kattan net worth in 2025 was estimated at roughly $100 million to $200 million, with figures varying widely by source. Her wealth comes from her stake in the Huda Beauty business and, increasingly, from her ownership and leadership of Kayali, whose value was highlighted by the 2025 private equity transaction.

Because much of this is tied to privately held beauty businesses, any specific figure should be treated as an estimate. What is clear is that she is among the most successful women in the global beauty industry, with wealth built from brands she helped create rather than inherited.

Personal Life

Mona Kattan is based in Dubai, which has been central to both her business and her public image. She married Hassan, her husband, in a widely publicized celebration, and she has shared parts of her life with a large audience through social media and through the Netflix series Dubai Bling, which follows the lives of a group of wealthy entrepreneurs and personalities in the city. That visibility has made her a recognizable figure well beyond the beauty trade.

Achievements and Influence

Mona Kattan's achievements include helping build Huda Beauty into a leading global cosmetics company and founding and scaling Kayali into an independent fragrance brand backed by major private equity. She is widely cited as one of the most influential women in beauty and as a role model for entrepreneurs in the Middle East and beyond, particularly women building consumer brands. Her blend of operational skill, fragrance expertise and personal brand sets her apart in a crowded industry.

Mona Kattan in 2026

As of 2026, Mona Kattan leads Kayali as its chief executive following the brand's move to independence, while remaining connected to the wider Huda Beauty story. Her focus is on growing Kayali internationally, deepening its product range, and strengthening her position as one of the defining entrepreneurs of the modern global fragrance market.

She is profiled alongside other founders in the Beauty sector on Founder Canon, the entrepreneurs turning personal passion and influence into major consumer brands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mona Kattan?

Mona Kattan is an American businesswoman based in Dubai who co-founded the global cosmetics brand Huda Beauty with her sisters and is the founder and chief executive of the fragrance brand Kayali. She is also known to audiences from the Netflix series Dubai Bling.

What is Mona Kattan's net worth?

Mona Kattan's net worth in 2025 was estimated at roughly $100 million to $200 million, with estimates rising after a private equity deal that made Kayali a standalone company under her leadership. Figures vary by source.

What is Kayali?

Kayali is the luxury fragrance brand Mona Kattan founded in 2018, originally within the Huda Beauty group. In 2025 it became a standalone company, with the private equity firm General Atlantic taking a stake and Kattan continuing as chief executive.

How old is Mona Kattan?

Mona Kattan was born on May 8, 1985, which makes her 40 years old as of 2026.

Is Mona Kattan related to Huda Kattan?

Yes. Mona Kattan is the sister of Huda Kattan, the beauty influencer and entrepreneur, and the two co-founded Huda Beauty together with their sister Alya.

Sources

  1. Huda Beauty company information
  2. Kayali Fragrances
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