The founder of UAE-based Izil Beauty, Mouna Abbassy, has been honored with the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award for the Middle East and North Africa.

Moroccan-born Abbassy launched her company in 2012, producing organic body scrubs, moisturizers and masks formulated with argan oil from the Atlas mountains. “It’s an honor to receive this award. I dedicate it to all Berber women working with me and handling this rare and precious resource. Today, argan oil is known everywhere in the world and it’s thanks to their labor,” she said.

The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards was created by the jewelry brand in 2006 in partnership with INSEAD and McKinsey & Co as a global competition for women entrepreneurs. The contest selects six laureates per year, and the winners receive a grant of US$20,000 plus 12 months’ business mentoring and a trophy.

This year’s ceremony was held in Deauville, France in conjunction with the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, a global conference featuring panel discussions and seminars with femle captains of industry.