Top 100 Arabs 2025

99. Nadine Labaki

Lebanese director and actress

Origin: Lebanon

Residence: Lebanon

Sector: culture and society

2024 Rank: NEW

Labaki is a Lebanese director, actress and activist known for her powerful storytelling and social impact. Born in 1974, in Baadbat, Lebanon, she studied audiovisual arts at Saint Joseph University in Beirut.

Her directional debut was with Caramel in 2007, a critically acclaimed film, that premiered at Cannes Film Festival.

Sheis known for representing everyday aspects of Lebanese life and covering a range of political issues such as war, poverty and feminism.

Her 2018 film Capernaum earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, making her the first female Arab director to achieve this milestone.

In 2024, she was selected as a jury member at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Labaki remains a powerful voice in global cinema, using film to highlight on social and humanitarian issues worldwide.

Nora Al Matrooshi

Karim Gharbi