Ali was born in Egypt and spent his childhood in Dubai. After finishing school he wanted to study philosophy and become a writer, but family pressure led Ali to study computer science.
My father comes from a small village in Egypt and for him, only two jobs matter. Doctors and engineers.
Ali didn’t forget his passion for writing, and he moved to New York to take up a United Nations fellowship as a journalist.
He moved back to Egypt a few months before the January 2011 Egyptian revolution. He was there when the protestors toppled President Hosni Mubarak. Ali worked as a morning TV presenter in Egypt but when the political situation became more unsafe for independent journalists, he moved to Germany.
But building social connections in Germany remained difficult even after three years. The isolation wasn’t sustainable for him and his partner at the time. Ali had heard good things about Australia and after securing a job with SBS he made the decision to move here.
The days or weeks before you leave your home country, it’s really terrifying. Your mind plays all the games against you... It wants to stay and keep the status quo.
Seeing greater cultural diversity in Sydney helped him feel less like a stranger in those early months trying once again to settle in a new country.
In My First Year on Aussie Soil, comedian Suraj Kolarkar delves into the stories of people who have found their feet in Australia, as they share their first impressions, and the highs and lows of life in a new country.
Follow My First Year on Aussie Soil in the SBS Radio app, Spotify, Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
