Celebrity Tattoos & The Stories Behind Them

Any tattoo is a statement of a sort, and each is subject to admiration, criticism or utter dislike; but it’s more often than not a topic for discussion and debate. With celebrities, the effect is magnified, and most fans take to social media to weigh in. We look at a number of celebrity tattoos and their stories behind them.

Ghada Abdelrazek


Ghada Abdelrazek

Ghada Abdelrazek rocks three tattoos: the word “Faith” in English on her right arm, the word “Determination” in Arabic on her left arm, and a third one on the fourth finger of her right hand that appears tor ead “7.”

On the 10 p.m. show with Wael Elebrashy, Abdelrazek was asked about the meaning of her tattoos, to which she replied, “They are the two things I believe in and go by in my life.” She never, however, explained what the number seven means to her. Abdelrazek went on to emphasize that determination is everything for her, it has gotten her where she is today. Meanwhile, faith is what gets her through every day. When asked by Elebrashy if she means faith in the content of the movies, soap operas and series she presents and the messages conveyed in them, Abdelrazek replied, “Yes, but also faith in general. Faith in God. Faith in Everything.”

Amr Diab


Amr Diab

Since 2009, the superstar has been wooing his audience with new tattoos, which he usually reveals with the release of each new album. Starting with the album Wayah (With Her), Diab has gotten multiple tattoos, all of which are tributes to his family and convey his love and appreciation for them.

In 2009, the singer got two tattoos on each arm in celebration of his children. The one of his left arm says “Abdullah” in Arabic, the name of his only son, while the one on his right arm reads Jana, Kenzy and Nour in calligraphy, although the design is difficult to read. After his parents passed away, Diab got both their names inked on his right forearm, “Abdelbaset and Roqaya,” in Arabic calligraphy to honor them.

With the superstar’s latest album, another tattoo was released, this time in English. On his chest, the tattoo reads “Stamina,” representing his ability to stay on top of the music industry for more than 30 years—not to mention maintain a rigorous workout routine to keep up a youthful appearance. During his career, the singer has been able to develop and evolve his music and style and never fade out, something that takes determination and stamina.

Diab also has his birthday written in Latin numbers on his calf, shown for the first time during the video clip for his song “Gamalo” (Her Beauty).

Ahmed El Fishawy



We can’t talk about celebrity tattoos and not mention El Fishawy; one of the most controversial inked artists in the Arab world. The Sheikh Jackson star sports dozens of tattoos all over his body, all of which, according to an interview with him on El-Leila Di show, has a meaning. “I have become addicted to getting tattoos and their pain,” El Fishawy said on the show.


Ahmed El Fishawy

Getting his first tattoo over 10 years ago, the actor has covered his torso, neck and arms with some of the principles he stands for, like “Don’t drink and drive,” and the Camel cigarettes’ logo with the word “kills” under it, as well as others that express his personality. He also has “Omy” (Arabic for my mother) and “Aby” (Arabic for my father) tattooed on his right and left arms.

Mai Ezz Eldin


Mai Ezz Eldin

The actress has several tattoos which all make her “happier and stronger,” she told Hia Magazine.

“I once got two new tattoos at a difficult time in my life. It was a difficult period for me; I was depressed,” she revealed to the the Dubai-based magazine. “Tattoos are addictive and you miss the feeling of getting one… You find yourself slipping and wanting another one, and without realizing, you have one more tattoo.”

The most prominent tattoo she has is the word “Princess,” one of Mai Ezz Eldin’s nicknames, and a crown over it inked on her forearm. In an interview with Hend Reda on Nogoum FM radio station, Ezz Eldin explained that her favorite nickname given to her by her fans is “Princess,” which is why she got it inked. “I like this title because it does not [pigeonhole] me into a specific category. For example, I have also been called ‘The Queen of Drama,’ but I do not like it as much as I like ‘Princess’ because there are many great actresses with me in the field, many of whom have been around longer than I have,” she said. “I am called a princess, I feel, for a reason. It is not me showing off. It is linked to the song from the movie Omar and Salma, a movie that is extremely dear to me. And, I like Disney princesses too! I like it when people compare my look in the wedding scene in the movie Omar and Salma to a princess. It makes me happy.”

Ezz Eldin got the tattoo to record her life-changing journey as Salma in the movie, a major milestone in her acting career. She also has a flower on her shoulder, foot and ribs.

Hannah Zahed


Hannah Zahed

Hannah Zahed got her favorite quote “Le meilleur est à venir,” French for “the best is yet to come,” inked on her shoulder blade while filming in Croatia. Commenting on her tattoo to Fuchsia YouTube channel, Zahed said, “This is my favorite quote. I have written it on everything.”

The message of hope speaks to the bubbly, hopeful, forward-looking personality of the actress. Timeless, the quote signifies that each day is better than the one before and that the best hasn’t yet arrived, signalling that one should always look forward to the future and have faith in life.

Asser Yassin


Asser Yassin - Courtesy of Star Ink Official FB

Asser Yassin, or The King of Clubs as he puts it on Instagram, recently got an artistic club shape inked at Star Ink, who posted photos of Yassin during his visit and his tattoo on their social media accounts.

Yassin seems to have a thing for clubs, which was featured on the video clip he directed and starred in for Wust El Balad’s “Al-Ekhtelaf Al-Moa’talef” (Our Familiar Difference). The king of clubs generally represents good character and loyalty as well as knowledge, wisdom and maturity.

Club suits represent summer and earth. The summer symbol behind Yassin’s club tattoo signifies youth, discovering new things and being an outgoing person, while the earth element symbolizes him being well grounded, with high productivity and creativity levels and a capacity to change his ideas into something tangible.

Dalia El Behery


Dalia El Behery

The former model sports two tattoos: one on her right shoulder blade and another one on her left arm. The latter reads “Kesmat” in Arabic letters, her daughter’s name. To celebrate motherhood and as a tribute to her daughter, El Behery took Kesmat to a photo session on Mother’s Day where they were photographed together, and got her name inked. The actress tragically lost her daughter, Khadija, who suffered a rare disease and passed away aged eight months.