About Abeer
Abeer Shoukry-Al Otaiba has held many positions in her life, both professional and personal — student, engineer, designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, daughter, mother. Through these roles and others, Abeer strives to improve the world through building connections, promoting equality, and helping other women and girls around the world.
Education and Early Career
Abeer grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, in a family of engineers, including her mother, father, and uncles. She attended Catholic schools in France, where she especially enjoyed studying math and physics, and later returned to Egypt to study civil engineering herself.
After completing her studies, Abeer’s career began at Orascom Telecom in Egypt as a civil engineer, where she quickly distinguished herself in a predominantly male-dominated field. Her success took her to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she continued to work as an engineer.
While in the UAE, Abeer met Yousef Al Otaiba, who in 2008 was appointed as Ambassador of the UAE to the US. The couple married in 2010, and moved to Virginia, where they still live today with their two children.
Founding SemSem
Inspired by the bond between herself and her daughter Samia, Abeer Shoukry-Al Otaiba wanted to connect her lifelong passion for fashion with her dedication to charitable causes. She named her new company SemSem, the Arabic word for “sesame seed”—and also her daughter’s nickname.
Abeer founded SemSem on the foundational value of supporting women and girls around the world. Every season, she chooses a female-focused nonprofit organization for SemSem to support with its collection. Past partners have included the Association and Development of Women, Women for Women International, Every Mother Counts, and the International Rescue Committee.
As Creative Director of SemSem, Abeer focuses on bringing together colors, textures, and ideas from the Eastern and Western cultures in which she grew up. A reflection of her engineering background, her designs also utilize movement, layers and dimension. She spends her days drafting designs, inspecting fabrics and supervising the business as a whole.
With a team that spreads from Washington, D.C., to New York City and around the globe, Abeer works diligently to bring her vision to the world. Abeer’s entrepreneurial pursuits with SemSem earned her a spot on Forbes Middle East’s list of 40 Women Behind Middle East Brands.
SemSem on Instagram
Founding Al Otaiba Investments
In October 2020, Abeer became the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Al Otaiba Investments. This international investment firm is now helping to drive impact, growth and sustainability across the globe.
Al Otaiba Investments is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, with offices in Abu Dhabi and Washington, DC. Through this new business model, Abeer is committed to investing in innovators and pioneers with bold ideas that have the power to change the world.
philanthropy
In addition to supporting organizations that help women and girls through SemSem, Abeer Al Otaiba works with local charities in her adopted home, including Children’s National Medical Center and the Hope for Henry Foundation. Abeer is the Honorary Chair of the Hope for Henry Foundation.
As an infant, Abeer’s daughter Samia needed to have surgery for a rare lung condition, which was performed at Children’s National and led to a full recovery. In 2014, the Al Otaibas co-chaired the Children’s National Ball as a thank you to the hospital where they raised more than $10 million. The hospital awarded the couple the Joseph E. Robert, Jr. Prize in Philanthropy for giving back after going through a harrowing medical experience with their own family. Abeer and Yousef have also established a Goodwill Fund through the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, helping to provide the funding necessary to treat underprivileged children and refugee cancer patients.
In addition to these organizations, Abeer has supported other philanthropic organizations centered around cultural exchange, health care partnerships and disaster relief activities to give back to those in need around the world.