WWE can start to feel stale, but for fans who drift away from its glossy, scripted drama, a whole universe of alternatives awaits – from Japan’s NJPW to America’s AEW.
Egyptian designer Mohamed Fahmy, 28, knows that journey well. Once hooked on WWE, he found himself searching for something deeper. Once the broader world of professional wrestling began embracing his artistic skills, his promotional work became responsible for attracting legions of fans along with him.
While his designs are now inextricably tied to some of the biggest wrestling events of the last decade, few might know that many of them were created thousands of miles away in Alexandria, Egypt.
“I started in 2013, just posting fan-made designs on internet forums,” he tells The National. “But in that same year I got my first paid job, and from then on it became my profession.”
Fahmy’s background is in civil engineering, but his passion was always in art and wrestling. From a young age he was fascinated by the characters he saw on television. Like many Egyptians, his first exposure was through a weekly clip show hosted by the late former wrestler Mamdouh Farag. He remembers being drawn to the flamboyance of the Golden Era stars. “I loved Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior,” he says.
That interest quickly moved beyond television. By 2006 he was exploring independent promotions online and learning about Japan’s NJPW promotion. WWE remained his main focus until 2016, but he admits the product lost him. “For me, wrestling has to be storytelling that respects the audience’s intelligence,” he says. “If it feels shallow or forced, I lose interest.”
What never waned was his dedication to design. His first big break came when British promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling hired him in 2016. A year later he became lead graphic designer for Ring of Honor in the United States.
“That was the first company I signed a proper contract for,” he says. “Age was never an issue. They only cared that the work was high quality, delivered on time and printed well.”
Those contracts helped grow his reputation among wrestlers and promoters. By 2019 the team behind AEW came calling. The company was founded that year by businessman Tony Khan alongside stars such as Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, and quickly positioned itself as the first genuine rival to WWE in two decades. Whereas WWE is a publicly traded entertainment giant built around spectacle and scripted drama, AEW marketed itself as a wrestling-first promotion that put athleticism and creative freedom at its core.
At the beginning, AEW lacked an established design department. “They only had a few promotional photos,” says Fahmy. “So, when I presented a complete poster, it was a big deal. At first it was very simple. They would say, ‘We have a show called All Out in Chicago. Go ahead.’ Later, when the production team was formed, it became more collaborative, with meetings and brainstorming.”
Fahmy’s posters are more than promotional tools – they tell stories in their own right. For the upcoming Forbidden Door event happening in London on Sunday, he created a poster for the anticipated match between British wrestler Zack Sabre Jr and Nigel McGuinness.
It features both technical wrestlers drawn in the style of 1970s punk and was an instant hit with fans online. Many praised the small details. “I was really worried that the audience wouldn’t like it at first because it was a new style,” Fahmy says. “But many messaged me saying that it was a great poster.”
Another career highlight came in 2021, when AEW staged All Out in Chicago. The event featured the long-awaited in-ring return of CM Punk, one of wrestling’s most celebrated figures. “That was a complete identity design that I proposed and developed from beginning to end,” he says.
Sometimes the work requires creative solutions. For All In Texas in July, which featured Japanese star Kazuchika Okada against Kenny Omega, Fahmy had to find a way around limited photography. “Designing for Kenny Omega is always difficult because he doesn’t like photo shoots,” he says.
“So, I went back to my fan-art instincts and used symbolism. Okada is the Rainmaker, so I used a Japanese water dragon. Omega was returning from injury, so I made him a phoenix rising from the ashes. I placed the two creatures against each other, dragon versus phoenix, warm colours versus cold. It created contrast.”
Despite being responsible for visuals seen by millions, Fahmy has never attended a live wrestling show. “That’s why I’m happy major shows are now happening in Saudi Arabia, even if they are WWE shows,” he says. “It’s close to Egypt and I hope I can go soon.” He also hopes AEW can come to the Middle East.
His work continues to be produced remotely from Alexandria, in collaboration with AEW’s production department in Nashville. He credits his journey to persistence and his willingness to take opportunities, even when unpaid. “The first company I worked for was a non-profit,” he says. “There was no money, but I learnt most of what I know there.”
Fahmy says his dream poster to create would be for a match that is unlikely to happen, at least for now. “If I could choose, I’d love to design the official key art for a show featuring AJ Styles against Will Ospreay, if that match ever happens. That would be a dream.”
Styles is contracted to WWE, while Ospreay wrestles with AEW.
AEW is available through Starzplay across the Middle East
Racecard
6.35pm: American Business Council – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm: British Business Group – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m
8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
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Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner RB Money To Burn, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Kimbear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Platinum Star, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Key Victory, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Masters%20of%20the%20Air
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
Indika
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2011%20Bit%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Odd%20Meter%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%205%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
How%20champions%20are%20made
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
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Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
