Being passionate about archaeology since I was nine and having a lifetime dream of being an archaeologist encouraged me to get a BA in Egyptology from Ain Shams University – Cairo in 2008. Then I received a MA in Cultural Heritage Management from Université Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne in 2015. Later, in 2019 I received a diploma in Maritime Archaeology from Alexandria University.

My passion was not only limited to studying archaeology and heritage management but also pushed me to gain practical experience in different approaches. As an undergraduate student, I volunteered at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where I practised several community outreach activities.

Then after graduation, I joined the Archaeological Database Department in 2008, established by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the Grand Egyptian Museum project as an archaeological content specialist. This four-year post gave me good experience regarding collection management systems and policies. Later in 2017, I started an academic career as an Assistant Lecturer at Université Française d’Egypte, where I was also involved as a researcher in several projects. In 2022, I was appointed as an Assistant Lecturer at the Faculty of Archaeology – Ain Shams University in Cairo.

In August 2019, I was awarded an HFF scholarship to start my doctoral research at the University of Southampton. I combined my experience and study to develop a research topic focusing on heritage preservation and public awareness in the Red Sea. The maritime archaeological sites along the western coast of the Red Sea in Egypt connected, form an important archive of the early maritime activity in this area over several periods from the ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom to modern history. Threats of destruction are already facing these sites due to the fast urban expansion along the coast.

My research aims to develop more sustainable management plans to achieve better community outreach of these sites through eco-museums and community engagement. Hopefully, fulfilling these goals will help to involve the local community in the preservation process and to raise public awareness to safeguard the Red Sea heritage.

During my first year, 2019 – 2020, I developed more of my research questions, theoretical framework, and methodologies. Also, I was able to have a thorough look into the archaeology of the sites and previous research. Moreover, I had the opportunity to attend some conferences (the 10th Seminar of the UNESCO Chair and the UNITWIN UNESCO network 2019 and MAGS 2020).

Sadly, many field plans were cancelled due to the Covid-19 challenges. Still, on the other hand, I had the chance to attend several virtual conferences and lectures from which I had the benefit of exploring other case studies and different methodologies.

My second year, 2020-2021, was complex and challenging on several levels due to the Covid-19 situation. Still, it was dedicated to fieldwork during which I had the chance to join the French archaeological missions in two sites of my case studies: Wadi Jarf and Ain Sokhna. During this excavation work, I developed more fieldwork skills and conducted an assessment for each site. On the other hand, I was finally lucky to start my diving courses and obtain an open-water diving license.

Through my third year, 2021-2022, I continued the qualitative analysis of my research, and I had the chance to disseminate my research through different conferences (NAS annual conference 2021, MAGS 2021, IKUWA7, Red Sea Project X and Under the Mediterranean II) and an online public talk (MARE 13). On the professional level, I was appointed as an Assistant Lecturer at the Faculty of Archaeology – Ain Shams University in Cairo.