Our Favorite Photographers from all over the region
Cameras have always been a dominant tool in Arab households. Through photography, generations were able to challenge the western world and present their images of the middle east away from stereotypes. Many Arab photographers have dedicated their careers to portraying their culture and revealing stories of the region while others made huge debuts in the journalism and media industries that have never been recognized before. Let me walk you through 10 Arab photographers you must check out
- Hayat Osamah
Hayat, a saudian photographer and the winner of GQ’ Breakthrough Artist, is one of the most successful fashion and documentary photographers in the region.
Throughout the last few years, she has photographed magazines such as Vogue Arabia, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle. She also made an appearance in the Fendi x Vogue campaign alongside her sisters in 2020. Her photography style has been recognized by many as bold and unique which made her work outstanding. She is also a phenomenal director as she recently directed, wrote, and filmed her movie: Badeel which was screened in the Saudi film festival as well as Wired x Neom in collaboration with DiscoverNeom
- Mous Lamrabat
Mous is a self-taught artist who was born in Morocco. His work is heavily influenced by his heritage, and you can always spot a Moroccan symbol, whether it be in the form of background art or traditional clothing. His fusions of pop art and culture captured everyone’s attention. He held his first exhibition, Blessings from Mousganistan, last year and it was one of a kind. It emphasized the importance of cultural identity and the huge significance of art in our lives. A truly heartfelt addition to the Arab culture community.
- Seif Amr
Being Egyptian can be an advantage when it comes to knowing and filming Egypt’s breathtaking landscapes and hidden gems. Photographing its people or natural habitats is itself a fascinating form of art. Seif Amr is a Cairo-based landscape photographer; he also specializes in hospitality and lifestyle photography. Seif is currently traveling across Egypt documenting every beautiful aspect of it. He started photography in 2016, he was heavily inspired by the Beautiful Destinations platform and photographers such as Emmet Sparling.
- Malak El Sawi
Photographer, Art director, Dj, and stylist, Malak El Sawi is the ultimate IT Girl when it comes to the media industry. Malak’s outstanding photo sessions cast light on female empowerment and its connection to fashion. She previously discussed her work and how her photographs were inspired by youth and the search for identity in an interview with Egyptian Streets. Her work was featured in magazines including GQ, Vogue Italy, and others.
- Otman Qrita
Otman is one of the best uprising artists in the Arab region. Having worked with huge brands and magazines such as Dion lee, GQ Middle East, and Gucci, his work is one of the most successful internationally. He recently worked with Chanel, filming for their spring-summer couture 2023 and earlier in GQ Dima Maghrib Cover where he directed and photographed the story cover and video. A personal favorite was his November 2022 shoot with Malika el maslouhi, a brilliant and utterly beautiful shoot
- Chndy and Cheb Moha
Photographer, filmmaker, and designer. Making the best of every opportunity is what describes both chndy and cheb. After shooting the Nike Football campaign for the Saudi National team, both were selected for 30 under 30, Forbes Middle East.
The artists have been working together since they first met in Muscat in 2013, and together they were able to produce heartfelt visuals and ground-breaking campaigns
Cheb is also an acclaimed fashion designer and photographer in addition to being the creator and Co-founders of the clothing line Shabab. He was also listed in The Hypebeast Next 100 list of emerging fashion designers.
In terms of photography, they have captured images of well-known figures like Messi, emerging vocalist Saint Levant for YUNG, and Peggy Gou for GQ Middle east
- Ileys Griyeb
Ileys, a self-taught French and Moroccan photographer who was nominated for the Urban NewComer Photographers Grant has long spoken about his Homeland and the desire to show Morocco through the eyes of its people rather than through western media. His book Morocco, which is filled with pictures of his family, friends, and heritage, beautifully captures his profound connection to his homeland even though he didn’t spend much time there throughout his childhood. Iley’s work has appeared in many magazines, including Vanity Fair and M Le Monde.
“My goal is to bring a more accurate, deeper and human sense of understanding to topics that were approached by a white gaze or by a white person that hasn’t had a deeper investment in understanding the narrative,”
- Tasneem Al sultan
Mostly based in the middle east, Tasneem is a Saudi-American photojournalist who works for the New York Times and National Geographic. Although Tasneem began her career as a wedding photographer, she quickly earned recognition for her documentation on gender stereotypes and women’s empowerment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She is a storyteller who covers regional issues. Soon after Saudia Stories of Love, Tasneem became the first Arab woman to be appointed as a cannon ambassador.
- Amber Asaly
The woman behind every perfect celebrity portrait, from Zoey Deutch for the Met Gala to Hailey Beiber’s Rolling Stone shoot, is Amber Asaly. Known as the celebrity photographer, Amber was born to Lebanese parents but has lived most of her childhood in California. Even if you haven’t heard of Amber, you have come across some of her work. She mostly uses film cameras to capture her photos, and each shot is marked by distinctive color schemes and angles. Amber’s work varies from celebrity moments like Madelyn cline x cosmopolitan to fashion content like the Puma x Rhude campaign.