The professional ambassador

The famous who stay at the Hilton Dubai at the Walk on Jumeirah Beach will know house photographer Mabrouk Othman, Ramses to his friends due to his obsession about ancient Egypt, the country from which he hails. He’s the snapper who’s worked with Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Peter André, not to mention royalty and famous Swiss watch brands. But we also know him as the consummate doer, reliable, calm, multilingual, and talented, someone who opens doors when the language or cultural barriers seem insurmountable. His bright, flattering photographic work shows an undeniable talent, and it’s this mixture, as a man for all seasons, that particularly piqued our interest.

From humble beginnings, Othman’s story is one of sheer determination, with an uncanny ability to network and not only see the barriers, but find ways to work through them. In his youth, Othman sold international Arab lifestyle magazines at Le Pacha 1901, Cairo’s must-see floating palace with multiple restaurants moored on the banks of Zamalek. He found himself drawn to the fashion and celebrities within, and he would see them in person visiting the venue.

‘Every day I met them at that place, and I showed them their photos in the magazines. That made them happy and they would buy them from me.’ During this time, Othman met singers Amr Diab, Haifa Wehbe, and Tamer Hosny.

‘I asked myself, “Instead of selling them the magazines, why don’t you take pictures of them and then you get published in those magazines?”’

With his mind focused on becoming a published photographer, Othman began working as a photographer’s assistant, after enquiring with the celebrities he met, then with Hollywood photographers.

During this time he photographed Egypt’s big names: Naguib Sawiris (former chairman and CEO, Orascom), Mansour Amer (founder and CEO, Amer Group), Ahmed Abou Hashima (founder of Egyptian Steel, Egyptian Media, among others), Hussein Salem (co-owner of the East Mediterranean Gas Co., and an ally of former president Hosni Mubarak), and members of the Mubarak family, Alaa and Gamal.

He describes his photography as his meditation, and he has moments where he doesn’t want to do it commercially.

Othman did not stand still while honing his craft: he worked in restaurants, as well as heading to university to study Egyptology, in which he holds a master’s degree.

If he has a second passion, it is his love of cultures. ‘Since I was young, I loved to communicate with different cultures and know more about their backgrounds. I faced the language challenge of starting to learn English, then study more about our Egyptian history, as it’s one of the world’s oldest and most fascinating.’ Digging more deeply into ancient Egyptian mythology and religion, he began to wonder if he could be an ambassador for his country. ‘It was my dream to be a tour guide. I believe that nothing is impossible: you just have to work on it.’

With what he says was a mixture of hope and study, he enrolled in a tourist guidance major at October 6 University in 2011, alongside his work and attending workshops in Egyptology and archæological research, bringing him into contact with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut and the French Institute for Eastern Archælogy. He spent most of his time at the Egyptian Museum, which he called his second home.

After graduation, he secured his official tour guide licence from the Ministry of Tourism, and worked at the Egyptian Museum for three years, taking visitors to the Pyramids, temples, and other sites. He then embarked on his master’s thesis.

However, the call of photography was stronger. In 2016, he had an internship with the Göthe-Institut with photography and videography instructors Beshoy Fayez and Abanoub Emad, to whom he remains thankful. Then in 2018, he made the move to Dubai, working with numerous hotels, before settling at the Hilton Jumeirah Dubai as its photography director.

Fashion is one of his main topics, and he particularly enjoyed shooting Michael Ray Nelson, a man with a passion for classic cars and motorcycles as well as health and fitness. Other notable subjects he recalls favourably are HH Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, part of the ruling family of the Emirate of Sharjah in the UAE and the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah; jewellery designer Jacob Arabo; Amr Diab; and footballer and manager Edgar Davids. His Instagram is filled with even more glamour, branching out into videos that are just as beautifully shot.

Othman’s optimism is infectious, with the sort of can-do attitude that his new home in Dubai embraces. He once set his sights on being an ambassador for Egypt—and he has very much achieved that as far as his profession is concerned. •

You can find Mabrouk Othman’s website at ramsesstudio.com.

Jack Yan is founder and publisher of Lucire.

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