For most of us, the stories we hear of successful people sound like fantasy, almost too good to be true. Saudi photographer, Bayan AlSadiq, understands that all too well. Her story, on the surface, also comes with an idealised version of how we look at success. In December 2010, she picked up a camera and began her passion for photography. Within a year, she rapidly gained traction online, and the rest, as most would say, is history.
We could dismiss it as luck, as was the case for 2010 internet, but the “rest” that was history? That was the hours AlSadiq spent honing her craft. Once AlSadiq took her work seriously, she was off to New York, studying, developing her skills, and working on her portfolio. Her traction was luck, but the real success came from resilience.
With that mindset and guided principle, she began Chapters, a photobook highlighting women behind successful businesses in the GCC region. As Arabian society opens up to women working independently and attaining success through their work, AlSadiq stands with her lens, capturing the moments meant to be honoured and celebrated.
In this interview, we delved deeper into her motivations, the conceptualisation behind Chapters, and the importance of highlighting women’s stories.
It has been 15 years since you began photography. Looking back, what are the aspects of your work that have stayed the same and what have changed?
To be honest, since the very first day I picked up a camera, one thing has always remained constant: my desire to share my vision with the world, the way I see moments, places, people, and stories.
That hasn’t changed.
What has evolved, of course, is the craft. With years of learning, taking courses, reading, and constantly experimenting, my work has naturally elevated. But the heart of it is still the same: I want people to see the world the way I see it when I travel, and to see products and brands through the perspective I create when I’m shooting.
Would you say that your Arabian heritage has influenced your lens and how you see the world? If so, can you tell us how?
Absolutely. My Arabian heritage is woven into the way I see the world. Growing up in a culture rich with hospitality, storytelling, and a deep appreciation for beauty has shaped my eye for detail. I’m naturally drawn to authenticity, emotion, and the quiet strength behind people and places, and that comes through in my photography. Whether I’m shooting a portrait, a product, or a landscape, there’s always a sense of warmth, depth, and connection that reflects the region I come from.
Your latest project, Chapters, highlights women who live and work in the Arabian Peninsula. What led you to this concept and why?
Chapters is about the incredible businesses we have here in the GCC, and to highlight the women behind them. On one hand, I wanted to inspire people by showing them how the remarkable brands around us truly made it to the top, not through a perfect path, but through ups, downs, setbacks, and resilience. And on the other hand, I wanted to highlight the women at these businesses. These women are talented, visionary, and deeply inspiring, and they have built thoughtful, beautifully constructed brands that deserve to be seen and celebrated.
Why the title ‘Chapters’?
The book carries chapters from these women, chapters that are growing day by day, chapters that have closed, and chapters that have shifted into completely new directions. Some of these women began with one dream and eventually discovered another, and their journeys reflect something universal.
In many ways, the title ‘Chapters‘ mirrors our own lives. We are all made of chapters: some beautiful, some difficult, some short, some transformative. The stories in this book are living chapters; they may expand in the coming years, they may close, or they may evolve into something unexpected.
I wanted to show people that this is life. We experience wonderful chapters, but when a chapter closes, it’s not an ending; it’s simply a redirection, a reminder that growth often comes from change.
A key aspect of this project is the women featured. How did you go about selecting the people and voices for Chapters?
Some of the women in Chapters were people I already admired deeply. Their work inspired me personally, and I was eager to meet them, learn from them, and photograph them in their own environments.
Others, I discovered through research. I spent months reading, observing, and following their journeys to understand who they are, what they built, and why their stories mattered. I wanted to make sure every woman featured brought something meaningful, authentic, and powerful to the book.
In the end, each person was chosen because her story resonated, moved me, and reflected the spirit of the GCC, which is resilience, creativity, and the courage to build something of her own.
The world is still largely a patriarchal one, where, for most of history, women were hardly seen nor represented. How does Chapters reflect this history and break that mould?
Chapters celebrates the reality we see today. A region, especially Saudi Arabia, that actively supports women and gives them space to lead, create, and build. The book highlights these women as they are now: confident, capable, and shaping their own journeys. It simply reflects the strength and presence women already have in our society today.
And finally, in your opinion, why is it important to highlight these stories?
It’s important to highlight these stories because people with dreams need to see that achieving something is truly possible. All they have to do is start. And it’s equally important for the world to see the incredible, inspiring women we have here in the region. Their stories deserve to be seen, celebrated, and remembered.
