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Women around the world are proving that success has no age limit. The members of the second annual 50 Over 50: EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) prove it every day. Here are the hoteliers leading the way in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Sophia Loren
Actress-Restaurant | Italy
The iconic Italian actress, over the course of a 6-decade career, overcame her poverty-stricken origins in post-war Naples to become a universally recognized movie star. Loren has received dozens of awards, including a lifetime achievement Oscar and a Golden Lion for her career at the Venice Film Festival. The legendary actress is also the author of cookbooks, including In Cucina Con Amore. Last year, she opened a second Sophia Loren restaurant in Milan: “In my life, I have had many passions, one of which is certainly food.” His first eponymous restaurant opened in Florence in 2021.
Gamze Cizreli
Founder-President, BigChefs | Turkey
One of Turkey’s most prominent restaurant entrepreneurs, Cizreli heads BigChefs, which operates 69 restaurants in 12 cities across the country, three cities in Dubai and also has a presence in Saudi Arabia, Germany, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kuwait. Cizreli previously ran several hospitality and food companies, including the Cafemiz coffee shop business; Kuki House, a pastry and bakery venture; and Quick China, a Far Eastern cuisine company. He divorced in 2005 and started over. Taking a bank loan, he founded BigChefs Cafe & Brasserie in 2007, and today the business employs more than 3500 workers. Cirelli, who has over 130,000 followers on Instagram, sits on the boards of Kagider, the Turkish Businesswomen’s Association and the Turkish Entertainment and Restaurant Association.
Salam Dakkak
Chef-owner, Bait Maryam | United Arab Emirates.
The Jordanian-Palestinian chef opened Bait Maryam restaurant in Dubai in 2017. The former school owner and cooking teacher turned renowned chef serves authentic Levantine recipes from eastern Mediterranean countries inherited from her mother, who gave the restaurant its name. Dakkak moved to Saudi Arabia when she was young, where she raised her family. Upon settling in the United Arab Emirates, Dakkak acted on her dream of owning a restaurant. She was cited in the Bib Gourmand category in the Michelin Guide 2022 and named Best Female Chef in the Middle East and North Africa 2023 by the World’s 50 Best food and beverage group.
