Mouna Ayoub
Encyclopedia
Mouna Ayoub (born on February 27, 1957 in Kuwait) is a well-known French
socialite
and businesswoman of Christian
Lebanese
origin. Frequently in the media, she is often a guest of the Cannes film festival
and makes headlines in French gossip magazines. At the age of 20 she converted to Islam
in order to marry Nasser Al-Rashid
, a 40 year old businessman and adviser to King Fahd. After eighteen years of marriage, and according to her divorce agreements, she left Saudi Arabia
and built a fortune by investing in real estate
. She talked about her marriage in her 2000 book La Vérité.
In 1997, she bought a boat from Bernard Tapie
, the Phocéa
, for €5.56 million to which was added €18.25 million worth of work. To pay for this work Mouna sold a number of her jewels including one of the largest yellow diamond
s of the world (112.53 carats (22.5 g)) for a price of €2.52 million (16.5 million francs) and a Bulgari
necklace for 15.3 million francs. Mouna Ayoub has owned since the beginning of the 1980s the largest private collection of haute couture
, composed of more than 10,000 items, which she continues to add to each season. In 2004, Arabian Business
magazine ranked her 45th richest Arab
with wealth estimated at $380 million.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and businesswoman of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
origin. Frequently in the media, she is often a guest of the Cannes film festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and makes headlines in French gossip magazines. At the age of 20 she converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in order to marry Nasser Al-Rashid
Nasser Al-Rashid
Nasser Al-Rashid is a Saudi Arabian businessman. . He is reputedly an influential advisor to the Saudi royal family and a billionaire...
, a 40 year old businessman and adviser to King Fahd. After eighteen years of marriage, and according to her divorce agreements, she left Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and built a fortune by investing in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
. She talked about her marriage in her 2000 book La Vérité.
In 1997, she bought a boat from Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie is a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. He was Ministre de la Ville in the government of Pierre Bérégovoy, a businessman specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies, among which Adidas is the most famous ; and owner of sports teams...
, the Phocéa
Phocea (Yacht)
Phocea was the largest sailing yacht in the world before the 2004 launching of Athena by Royal Huisman. She was built at the Toulon Naval Dockyard in 1976 for the well-reputed, single-handed yachtsman Alain Colas...
, for €5.56 million to which was added €18.25 million worth of work. To pay for this work Mouna sold a number of her jewels including one of the largest yellow diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s of the world (112.53 carats (22.5 g)) for a price of €2.52 million (16.5 million francs) and a Bulgari
Bulgari
Bulgari is an Italian jeweler and luxury goods retailer which has been owned by the French firm LVMH since October 2011. The trademark is usually written "BVLGARI" in the classical Latin alphabet , and is derived from the surname of the company's Greek founder, Sotirio Voulgaris...
necklace for 15.3 million francs. Mouna Ayoub has owned since the beginning of the 1980s the largest private collection of haute couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
, composed of more than 10,000 items, which she continues to add to each season. In 2004, Arabian Business
Arabian Business
Arabian Business is the Middle East's best selling weekly business magazine. The magazine focuses on the English and Arabic speaking communities and is published in both languages.-Arabian Business:Arabian Business is audited by BPA Worldwide...
magazine ranked her 45th richest Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
with wealth estimated at $380 million.