She specialises in the design and supply of bio-disposables, making the world more environmentally friendly

CV: Lamis founded and runs the first Arab-owned business specialising in the design and supply of bio-disposables, creating everything from sandwich bags to tableware made from renewable sources.

She also uses her profile as a businesswoman to boost awareness of the need to raise environmental standards in the UAE.

Where it began: Lamis wrote her thesis on green design while studying for her Masters at the Pratt Institute in New York, and started a non-profit, NUMU, to encourage firms to make green practices the norm – ultimately laying the foundation for her own business.

 Proud moment: “My biggest achievement is where I’m standing today with my business – with no investors, no rich relatives pouring money into my work, and no government support.”

What winning means to me: “Winning this prestigious award would be an acknowledgement of everything I’ve done to embody an Emirates Woman; she’s a woman who dares to be different for a greater cause… she’s a woman I want to be.”

Photographed by: Farooq Salik  | Assisted by: Kristina Nabieva