When We Went to Cairo And Met Shika

Oct 22, 2025

Written by: Asma Almulla

A Cairo Kind of Drama

At six in the morning, we departed Kuwait to land in Cairo three hours later.
The airport was smooth, and everything went according to plan with no complications.

Upon arrival at the St. Regis Cairo, we were greeted with a level of hospitality that felt straight out of a royal fantasy. From the moment we stepped in, the team made us feel like princesses. They even escorted us to our room with such care and attention that it instantly became one of those experiences you don’t forget.

We set out for the day with a few meetings lined up with producers and, of course, the mission of delivering samples for fittings. Later, We took a tour at our hotel, each corner had its own story, a true gem in the city.

Then came a spontaneous idea: why not visit the pyramids? Neither Rayan (our social media content creator), nor I had ever seen them.

One small issue it was already late in the afternoon, and every tour was fully booked. So we decided to wing it. What’s the worst that could happen, right?

On the way to Giza, I caught my first real glimpse of the pyramids. Even from afar, it felt magical. And though I’m known to be dreamy and sentimental, I’m confident anyone would’ve felt the same in that moment.

At the gate, we purchased our proudly "Arab-rate" tickets and entered. I was pleasantly surprised by how organized and well-maintained the site was. Between the ancient pyramids, the Sphinx, and the warm Cairo air, we had an incredible experience.

Back at the St. Regis, we ended our evening with a traditional Egyptian dinner at Sirocco The spread was everything Koshari, Kibda, Mahshi, and of course, Hawawshi. If you know Egypt, you know how serious that lineup is. With full stomachs and happy hearts, we called it a night.

The Main Event: Meeting Shika

The next morning was the real reason we were there, to shoot with Shereen Reda, or as everyone lovingly calls her, Shika.

We started slow: light breakfast, good coffee, and then off to meet the producer. For context, in editorial work, a producer is the person who coordinates teams, manages logistics, and keeps things running smoothly. Usually. Let’s just say this one wasn’t my favorite experience.. but I digress.

Next, we met the creative team: stylist, photographer, and videographer.We discussed direction, looks, hair, and makeup.

Then Shika arrived, radiating her signature confidence. She headed to glam, and as expected, the result was "fabulous, fabulous, fabulous," to quote her directly.

Her first look -a teal blue Fendi dress paired with a brown patent leather Spy Bag- was a dream. The color made her blue eyes absolutely pop.
We shot three looks in total, with four Spy Bags and a playful mix of hairstyles.

What I love about Shereen is that she doesn’t need much to shine. Minimal makeup suits her perfectly it highlights her blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. And beyond her beauty, she’s genuinely hilarious. Her humor is sharp, sarcastic, and delivered with perfect timing. When you’re around her, you instantly feel her star power, elegant, magnetic, and effortlessly entertaining.

It was a day filled with beauty, laughter, and creativity, no drama, except the kind we intentionally created for the art. But as fate would have it, the real drama was about to begin.

Cairo Chaos: My Airport Saga

Once the shoot wrapped (a little later than planned), I had less than an hour to catch my flight.
Between saying my goodbyes, collecting samples, settling bills, packing, and Cairo’s infamous traffic, the odds weren’t great.

My driver, who was equal parts scolding and reassuring, promised to drive "not too crazy, just crazy enough." A few near heart attacks later, I arrived at the airport at exactly 7:08 PM. The check-in counter had closed -yes- eight minutes earlier.

Cue the panic.

After a mild meltdown and several pleading conversations, I managed to switch to the next flight at 2:45 AM! Meaning, I was at the airport for seven and a half hours.

A kind gentleman directed me to the airport’s "Starbucks" (spoiler: it was not a Starbucks) where I spent a few hours catching up with friends. Later, I somehow charmed my way into the VIP lounge without a prior booking, silver lining!

Time passed faster than expected between Netflix documentaries and people-watching, and before I knew it, I was boarding my flight to Dubai.

As for Rayan? She had a calm, civilized evening, enjoyed her Mahshi dinner at the hotel and caught her flight back to Kuwait on time.

Bader Al-Kulaib

Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

Dr. Noura Almashan

Dr. Munira Al-Arouj

Nour Abdul

Eisa Alhabib

Deema Al-Ghunaim

Lama AlOraiman

Alymamah Rashed

Nadia Bader Al-Hajji

Henadi Al-Saleh

Jafar Islah

Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mudhaf

Abeer Al Awadhi

Shahad Alsabeeh

Abdulrahman Bedah Al-Mutairi

Faisal Alagel

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi

Shaikha Al Majed

Farah Almutawa

Donna Sultan

Dana Al-Mutawa and Sheikha Sharifa Al Sabah and Alzainah Albabtain

Laila Almutairi

Adel Alwasis

Hashim and Amna Naseeb

Dr. Abdullah Al Sumait

Shaikha Al-Hajeri

Shaima Hassan

Sheikha Bibi Al-Yousef Al-Sabah

Free Jabriya

Lulowa Al-Mulla

Salman Al-Kandari

Al-Jawhara-Al-Mahdi

Abdullatif Al Mishari

Hussain Bumejdad

Soaad Al-Faqaan

Maryam Alrefaei

Abdulmohsen AlMarzouq‏

Dr. Faisal Al-Roomi

Noor Al-Nafisi

Shaymaa Al-Terkait

Khalid Muthafar

Dalal AlHajeri

Yousef Alomran

Fahad Al Ghanim

Abdullah Behbehani

Sara Al-kattan

Dr. Manal Aldaihani

Ali Khajah

Raheel Al Roudhan

Bader Al-Kulaib

Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

Dr. Noura Almashan

Dr. Munira Al-Arouj

Nour Abdul

Eisa Alhabib

Deema Al-Ghunaim

Lama AlOraiman

Alymamah Rashed

Nadia Bader Al-Hajji

Henadi Al-Saleh

Jafar Islah

Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mudhaf

Abeer Al Awadhi

Shahad Alsabeeh

Abdulrahman Bedah Al-Mutairi

Faisal Alagel

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi

Shaikha Al Majed

Farah Almutawa

Donna Sultan

Dana Al-Mutawa and Sheikha Sharifa Al Sabah and Alzainah Albabtain

Laila Almutairi

Adel Alwasis

Hashim and Amna Naseeb

Dr. Abdullah Al Sumait

Shaikha Al-Hajeri

Shaima Hassan

Sheikha Bibi Al-Yousef Al-Sabah

Free Jabriya

Lulowa Al-Mulla

Salman Al-Kandari

Al-Jawhara-Al-Mahdi

Abdullatif Al Mishari

Hussain Bumejdad

Soaad Al-Faqaan

Maryam Alrefaei

Abdulmohsen AlMarzouq‏

Dr. Faisal Al-Roomi

Noor Al-Nafisi

Shaymaa Al-Terkait

Khalid Muthafar

Dalal AlHajeri

Yousef Alomran

Fahad Al Ghanim

Abdullah Behbehani

Sara Al-kattan

Dr. Manal Aldaihani

Ali Khajah

Raheel Al Roudhan