Zainab Ibrahim Mahfuz  was born in 1924  in Wana, a small town in Egypt. Shortly after his birth his family moved to Cairo near the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar.

Her life changed when Zainab met the Lebanese-Syrian Badia Masabni, founder of modern oriental dance.

​

​

​

Baadia Masabni

​

Baadia Masabni accepts Zainab into her dance company and gives her her artist name: Samia Gamal.

Samia is considered the second dancer after Tahia Carioca, the star of the company.

Samia becomes a soloist in the company and develops  a looser improvisational style in her dancing and she incorporates other classical or Latin dance moves into her solos. Samia begins to dance with a veil on the advice of Ivanova, her classical ballet teacher, to improve her port de bras.

Samia is the first oriental dancer to dance on stage with high heels and turns in many films.

​

A second important moment in his life is his meeting with Farid El Atrache.

Farid El Atrache shoots "Ahebekk Enta" (It's you that I love) by Ahmad Badrakha with Samia Gamal in 1949. That same year, King Farouk of Egypt designates her "National Oriental Dancer of Egypt".  In the film "She devil" Samia plays the double role of the dancer Semsema and the wife of dzinn Kahramana. Her romantic relationship with Farid does not remain a secret for long, although they are filming "Mat oulch' lehad" together.  (Don't tell anyone) in 1952.

Farid and Samia become a well-known duo in the cinema. Samia does not turn only with Farid. In "a glass and a cigarette" in 1955 directed by Niazi Mostapaha, Samia Gamal is accompanied by Nabil al-Alfi, Dalida and Kouka,  probably one of his best films.

​

​

Her romance with Farid did not last and after their separation she appeared in international films such as "The Valley of the Kings" in 1954 with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker.     

Another international blockbuster is "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" in 1954 by Jacques Becker with Fernandel from the account of One Thousand and One Nights.

Samia marries Texan millionaire Sheppard King who converts to Islam. This increases her popularity and she frequently makes the headlines but their marriage does not last long.

In 1958 she married Roshdy Abaza, one of the most popular Egyptian actors with whom she shot many films.

She disappeared on December 1, 1994 in Cairo.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​