Mohamed Salah is a legend, no one can deny that because I would fight them. But in all honesty, we kind of do pay too much attention to football, that sometimes, other stars are not given the credits they deserve. There are a lot of Egyptians making us proud out there, and it’s about time we shine a bit of light on them. From old legends to new icons, the following individuals deserve to be saluted for making Egypt — and the Arab world — look amazing everywhere.
Magdi Yacoub
Via bbc.co.uk
Apart from all of Yacoub’s exceptional accomplishments and awards that he received. John McCafferty, an Englishman, received his new heart on 20 October 1982 in a procedure carried out by Yacoub. As of December 2013, McCafferty entered the record books as the world’s longest-surviving heart transplant patient. Enough said, right?
Adel Emam
Via identity-mag.com
Did you know that the United Nations appointed Emam as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR in January 2000? Not just that but throughout his career that spanned five decades, he won numerous awards, both national and international. Emam won the Honorary Award of the Festival at 2014 Marrakech International Film Festival. He then won the International Jury Award at São Paulo International Film Festival.
Naguib Sawiris
Via Wall Street Journal
Naguib Sawiris, was not only listed on Forbes magazine as the 577th richest person in the world, with a personal wealth of $3.1 billion. Sawiris also received a number of awards, which include the Legion d’Honneur (the highest award given by the French Republic for outstanding services rendered to France) and the Stella della solidarietà italiana (Star of Italian Solidarity) for his contribution to the Italian economy through his investments in Italy.
Farida Osman
Via Identity Magazine
This women is literally unstoppable. At the third FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, which were held in Lima, Perushe became world junior champion in the 50m butterfly, placing Egypt 11th on the medalists charts — the highest rank any African or Arab nation has reached in a long time.
Aya Tarek
Via REORIENT
Aya Tarek is an Egyptian artist from the city of Alexandria. Tarek’s work are primarily street art or graffiti and paint. She is seen as one of the few serious street artists in Egypt and has showcased her artwork in various exhibitions and events around the world, including Omar Sharif Mural, Antigel Festival, Geneva (2018), Sprezzatura, and SOMA Art, Cairo (2018).
Ghada Wali
TED Global Speaker 2017 made Ghada Wali the youngest female speaker to ever represent the MENA region. She believes that graphic design can change the world. Moreover, Wali made it to Forbes Europe’s List 2017 (Arts & Immigrants category) which makes her the first Egyptian woman ever to appear in this category.
Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf (Founders of Okhtein)
Via Enigma Magazine
For god’s sake, Queen B actually bought an Okhteinbag herself, is there anything more to add? After winning the Vogue Arabia contest, one of the perks was having their products displayed at Curve Boutique in Los Angeles, which is where Beyoncé saw and bought the bag.
