Nayla Al Khaja is the first female film director/producer in the United Arab Emirates and the CEO of Nayla Al Khaja Films (previously D-Seven Motion Pictures). She is the founder of The Scene Club, Dubai’s first film club; it has over 22,000 registered members. In addition to numerous shorts, Al Khaja has written and directed two feature films: "Animal" and "The Shadow". In 2006, she was awarded Best Emirati Filmmaker during the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Her short film “The Neighbor” won Best Emirati Film at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Al Khaja is ranked among the 50 most powerful personalities in Arab cinema, and 100 most powerful Arabs under 40 by Arabian Business magazine.. She was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards 2017.