It’s International Men’s Day, and we wanted to celebrate by showcasing seven young Egyptian men who have made an impact not only on us but in their respective fields.
By Aliaa Elsherbini
Mo Salah
We have to start with the pride of our nation, Mohamed Salah. The professional football player made waves not only in the MENA region but in the whole world with his exceptional soccer skills and his radiant smile and cheerful character.
Born and raised in Egypt, Mo Salah plays for the Liverpool team in the UK yet still represents Egypt in any football games played by the National team. He made a massive impact in football, but most importantly, he made an impact on how foreigners perceive Egypt and encourage young Egyptian kids to dream as he is proof that hard work, talent, and persistence pays off.
He had the whole world chanting “Mo Salah,” and we’ll be forever chanting along.
Ramy Youssef
New Jersey artist born to Egyptian parents, Ramy Youssef, has gained international recognition with his Hulu comedy series “Ramy.” Besides the funny jokes and gifted cast, “Ramy” gained success for its representation of a first-generation Egyptian-American Muslim in the USA. The storyline is inspired by Ramy Youssef’s spiritual journey in New Jersey.
The show really highlighted with wit what many Americans did not know about Egyptians and the journey of citizens like Ramy, who were born and raised in a culture different from their place of origin.
We cannot wait for more from Ramy.
Omar Samra
If you do not know who Omar Samra is, then now is the time to get introduced to this inspiring adventurer, the first Egyptian and youngest Arab to climb Mount Everest. Samra’s achievement and determination were inspiring to the point where he turned into a motivator and public speaker to spread his belief that “impossible is nothing with hard work and perseverance.
After years of working in banking and private equity, Samra decided to leave it behind and focus on his passion for traveling and adventure. He has broken many records over the years, such as being one of the only 40 people in the world to complete the Explorers Grand Slam.
Samra’s adventures and TED Talks have been inspiring to many as he is very vocal about environmental conservation and youth empowerment leading to his recent title as a Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt.
Sherif Fayed
Travel blogger turned social media sensation and travel company founder, Sherif Fayed, paved the way for all the social media influencers you see now. Fayed started vlogging back when it was not in-trend, and he made a name for himself as the trusted guide for all your travel trips and inspirational talker.
Through his positive energy, sense of adventure, and great quality footage, Fayed made us live vicariously through him for years as he traveled from one country to the other, documenting it all on camera.
Sherif Fayed is proof that you can turn your hobbies and passion into a business and make a living out of it as he is now the founder of a travel company called “PAX.”
Ahmed El Ghandour (El Da7ee7)
Ahmed El Ghandour, known as El Da7ee7 because of his acclaimed YouTube series under the same name, made knowledge and science engaging, and dare we say “cool”. The young YouTuber has reached around 18 Million views in the three years that his show was running with AJ Plus and another 26 million views on his own channel that has 1.09M subscribers.
El Ghandour highlighted science in a relatable and compelling way to attract a wide range of audiences that would, normally, scroll past the word “science.” With unusual facts, speed cuts, quirky humor, and a ripping choice of topics, Al Da7ee7 build a dedicated viewership and a fan base that is hungry for knowledge framed in a captivating way.
While the online show was stopped in June 2020 due to production-related issues with AJ Plus, it will be back soon hosted by its new home, MBC Shahid—in the meantime, we will go re-watch his old episodes on Youtube.
Ali Farag
Ali Farag is both muscle and brains. The Egyptian professional squash player is a Harvard graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering and the world’s number one squash player as of November 2020.
Farag represents Egypt in Squash and has been making everyone proud since he first pursued the game on a professional level, winning many titles inclusion the Squash world champion in 2018/2019.
He has established himself as one of the most-popular Egyptian squash players, to the point where he has famous nicknames such as Mr. Fantastic, Rubber-band Man, and The Raptor.
