I have eight years of academic and professional experience in heritage management (tangible and intangible), conservation (adaptive reuse and rehabilitation), community engagement and cultural identity, visitor management and interpretation, urban and/or rural heritage development, heritage marketing, and sustainable cultural tourism. Additionally, I have experience in multidisciplinary fields: Coordination; Teaching; Research; Collecting Data (Quantitative and Qualitative); Design Questionnaires and Interviews; Administration; Project Management; Public Relations; Event Management, and NGO Management.
Basically, I am a graduate of history, and I like to invest this knowledge from a tourism and managerial perspective I worked for a while as a tour guide, then became a heritage management professional after obtaining M.A. in Heritage Conservation and Site Management at Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg (Germany), and then, I obtained PhD in heritage marketing and sustainable cultural tourism at the architecture department program "Architecture: Innovation and Heritage"/theme “Urban Heritage and Mass Tourism”, Roma Tre University (Italy).
I previously joined a group of people-centred projects. Firstly, cooperating with some national stakeholders in Egypt, I participated, as a researcher and project associate, in the project “Siwa Architecture Community Centre: Towards an Inclusive and Heritage-conscious Urban Transition (SIWI Project)” where I contributed to raising awareness of the local community about Siwan built vernacular architecture and the cultural significance of traditional architectural heritage. Furthermore, I participated in a consultation team of Torasna for Heritage Development and Management S.A.E. in preparing the section on visitor management and interpretation, in a proposal for Giza Plateau Master Management Plan (2019 – 2022) as a part of the UNESCO Egyptian World Heritage Site "Memphis & its Necropolis", which through, I focused on engaging the positive cultural values of the surrounding demographic area, not only to display the archaeological heritage. Also, I participated in the research project “Authenticity and Socio-economic Integrity of a Living Heritage”, at the German University of Technology in Oman [affiliated to RWTH Aachen Uni.], which was focused on Mutrah Old Market as a cultural space for the Omani citizens and the international visitors as well.
Since 2017, I have digitally founded and strategically managed the HeritageForAll initiative as an international initiative. I could deliver a solid and consistent international image and work. The initiative may provide a convenient space - through the website and other social media devices - for the young professionals to share their overviews and recommendations exchanging their experiences with the international community and organizations. Applying e-communication methodology, HeritageForAll hosts three international internship programs - e.g. “Rural Heritage and Traditional Food” (2019) and “Musealization of Cultural Identity” (2021) - which EuropeNostra and ICOMOS Australia appreciated. I may also mention that there are many universities and organizations that support our initiative recommending our programs and activities for their students and other young professionals through their websites and social media such as Deakin University (Australia), BTU Cottbus-Stenfenburg (Germany), and Tartu University (Estonia). Moreover, I could communicate and coordinate with various cultures, and host and guide multiple interns from Europe (France, Netherlands, Italy, and Kosovo), Asia (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and China), Minor Asia (Turkey), America (USA and Mexico), and Arab region (Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon) as well.
I have qualified experience with teaching and leading successful national campaigns, programs, and organizations. Through my initiative and in cooperation with other international organizations and universities, I earned good teaching, academic and professional experience. I did many lectures and workshops at various international universities such as Uppsala University (Sweden), Banaras Hindu University (India), Heidelberg University and University of Applied Science - Hochschule Anhalt (Germany), Università degli Studi di Firenze (Italy), University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar (Pakistan) and so on; as well as Goethe Institute (Egypt) and UNESCO Cairo Capacity Building Programs.
I am so close internationally to the cultural heritage sector as a professional and activist participating in international programs and organizations, e.g. ICOM and ICOMOS. Since 2020, I am an ICOMOS-ICTC member, I contributed to ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism (2022): Reinforcing Cultural Heritage Protection and Community Resilience through Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Management and ICOMOS Policy Guidance for Heritage and Development Actors (2020).
