FEATURE
Manal Amin
Founder/CEO at Arabize
It was a pleasure for me to be nominated among all these great women I have known throughout the years. My career in localization started almost 40 years ago, and I founded Arabize 30 years ago, making it among the very first companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The late ‘90s were my real exposure and involvement in the globalization/localization world, after which I joined LISA and attended its conferences to listen to speakers, learn about translation technology, and meet large and small players in the market. Then came GALA, LocWorld, the ELIA, ATC, ATA, and ALT. And before that were Limerick University events.
Seeing all these names on the nomination list reminded me of this long journey and how I learned from everyone throughout my journey. Trying to select only three out of this list was difficult. We’ve all gone on a long journey together, worked together, and had fun together. Being part of this ecosystem made me run for the elections of the GALA board, and I was honored to stay there for two years, where I learned a lot and was inspired to work with my colleagues in Egypt to establish the Egyptian Association of Globalization and Language Services (EAGLS).
ACCOLADES
Manal has inspired many generations with her enthusiasm for translation, localization, and technology. Not only does she have passion for work, but also for work-life balance, which impacts employee quality of life. I am very proud to work with her in her company.
This woman is a hero.
Ms. Manal Amin is considered the godmother of localization in Egypt and the inspirational entrepreneur in the whole of Africa.
I know Manal Amin as a business leader who proved herself in an industry controlled by men. She is a successful business woman who established new standards of quality and integrity.
She is a fighter and hard worker who succeeded to be a successful business woman despite a tough environment and circumstances. She is a role model for all women entrepreneurs.
This nomination means a lot to a woman entrepreneur like myself, who started her own business during an unwelcoming time and culture. It was a difficult journey with many challenges. I am honored to be nominated and selected among 30 other colleagues who have their fingerprints on the globalization/localization industry. The language industry was always full of professional, daring, successful women, and they deserve to be highlighted and rewarded for years of hard work and persistence. I am flattered this year to receive so many Egyptian, African, and Arab Awards as a conclusion to my long journey in business. I am grateful as well to those who nominated me and those who voted for me and put me among very successful names. Throughout my working years I have been in other fields of business, but localization was and always will be my passion and the closest to my heart.
Manal inspires women around the entire globe with her success story. She won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) in 2022. She also founded and chairs the first Egyptian association in the language industry.
She works with many universities and educational institutes as a volunteer on the board of directors or a volunteer consultant to increase the awareness and knowledge about the language industry and minimizing the gap between education and market needs.
Manal is absolutely a pioneer in her area of expertise in the MENA region.
WEEKLY DIGEST
Subscribe to stay updated between magazine issues.
