6th of OCTOBER CITY, Egypt — Dozens of Syrian actors had to leave Syria in the wake of the civil war that broke out in March 2011, and they mainly moved to three Arab countries — Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt. However, Egypt was the most important destination for them, despite the difficulties they faced there, including the differences between the Egyptian and Syrian dialects.

Al-Monitor met with Syrian actor and producer Farouq al-Shami at his home in 6th of October City in Egypt. Shami left Syria in 2012 because the crisis bred a lack of security and an inadequate work environment.

He said, “I left for Egypt because it has been the most suitable environment for artists, and it gives us better opportunities in the arts field. Besides, before the Syrian crisis, I participated in Egyptian series, and I realized that my professional life would be in Egypt.”

Shami began his artistic career with theater in 1994, then he moved to television series in 2001. He participated in 55 dramas and 15 Arab-produced series. He said he received several acting opportunities and appeared in Egyptian series in 2014, two years after arriving in Egypt.