Reem Abdellatif

Award-Winning Editor | Global Travel & Wellness Writer | Cultural Storyteller | Brand Strategist

Netherlands

I’m a travel writer, brand strategist, and journalistic shapeshifter with a soft spot for stories that live between the lines and across continents. From luxury retreats in Botswana to economic summits in Dubai, I’ve spent the past decade writing my way through the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, blending sharp reporting with a flair for the unexpected. My work doesn’t just describe a place; it captures the texture, the rhythm, the behind-the-scenes heartbeat that turns a destination into a story worth telling.

With a passport full of stamps and a brain wired for storytelling, I’ve written for legacy newsrooms, led regional content platforms, and helped global brands find their voice in noisy markets. Whether I’m crafting a hotel narrative for a high-end hospitality group or untangling the business of sustainable tourism for a B2B audience, my throughline is always the same: smart, engaging content rooted in lived experience and a dash of editorial spark.

Over the years, I’ve grown, reinvented myself, and found my soul along the way – and I still believe in using my voice to give back.

Award-winning? Yes. Deadline-driven? Always. Mission-focused? Without question. I write to connect the dots, to elevate nuance, and to bring a bit of clarity and beauty to the noisy, ever-shifting world we live (and travel) in.

If something here resonates, reach out. Let’s connect. Maybe we’ll create something extraordinary together.

LinkedIn Icon Resume Icon
Portfolio
Accor
Top Things to Do in Hurghada

Coral reefs, stargazing, and Sahara safaris - these are just a few of the best things to do in Hurghada. The rest? You'll only hear it from the locals.

Skift
02/19/2021
5 Middle East Travel Innovations Born Out of Pandemic and Fierce Rivalries

Since the coronavirus crisis changed the business of travel as we know it, the world has become obsessed with digital health passports, new technologies, and automation methods. Since then, the race to deploy digital solutions intensified among rival airlines and airports in the Middle East.

Skift
03/12/2021
Botswana Wildlife Camps Prepare for Evolved Post-Pandemic Travelers

Landlocked in pristine wilderness, Botswana is known for its colorful sunrises and lush oases where zebras or elephants can be seen sipping from its soothing waters. That's always been their natural habitat, with people always passing through as their curious visitors, observers, and sometimes sadly - their poachers.

Skift
03/05/2021
Dubai Faces Festering Tourism Challenges Beyond Pandemic

The shimmering coastline of Dubai's tree-shaped Palm Jumeirah island is known for its posh apartments, glitzy hotels, and upscale restaurants-but the lights in this exclusive enclave, like much of the city, have started to dim. That's because Dubai's economy, built on the hopes of globalization, was on thin ice long before the pandemic.

Skift
01/07/2020
Dubai's Demand for Niche Spiritual Retreats on the Rise

We've all heard about detox retreats, or spiritual getaways. Some people have called them a new age travel trend, but wellness tourism has been around for decades. Such getaways, in the last few years, have become increasingly popular in Dubai, particularly among professionals who belong to the upper middle class and are more health-conscious or educated.

Skift
03/03/2020
Coronavirus Tests Economic Reforms for Travel in Gulf Arab States

Countries across the oil-dependent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have made efforts to bolster their travel and hospitality sectors in recent years to build more sustainable economic models, but the spread of coronavirus is testing the strength of such reforms. "The biggest thing coronavirus has shown is how vulnerable the Gulf is to an epidemic, given its role as a travel and logistics hub," said Varsha Koduvayar, an analyst on covering the Gulf Arab states with the Washington-based...

Skift
12/30/2019
Rebounding Egypt Offers New Opportunities for Enterprising Tour Guides

Mohamed Turisi was 20 years old and still living at home with his parents when his hopes of becoming a civil engineer in Egypt were completely dashed. Not only had he lost interest in becoming part of its oversaturated job market, but his job prospects in Egypt looked very slim.

Skift
01/20/2020
Medical Tourism Emerges as a Bright Spot for Flagging Dubai

When people around the world think of travel in the Middle East, medical tourism is typically not the first idea that comes to mind - particularly in Dubai. Most people think of visiting the coastal city for its soaring skyscrapers, luxurious shopping venues, or year-round warm weather.

Skift
02/25/2020
Can Algeria Avert Financial Ruin Through Revived Tourism and New Visa Rules?

From the deep blue Mediterranean coastline of Algiers to the winding alleyways of colorful Casbah, there are many spectacular travel destinations to explore in Algeria. Africa's largest country, which is just a short flight from much of Europe, is currently home to seven UNESCO-inscribed World Heritage Sites, such as the Roman ruins of Hippo Regius that stretch over vast land covered with green olive trees, flowers, and rosemary.

Skift
02/19/2020
Palestinian Art Center Shines Light to Revive West Bank Tourism

Living under the ongoing threat of regional unrest and economic uncertainty, residents of the Palestinian city of Jenin in the West Bank are turning to their unique cultural identity and taste for the arts to attract tourism and participate in a cultural exchange.

Awra-group
Meet Ola Labib - the first Black Muslim Sudanese woman to perform at the O2

Happy New Year to all AWRA allies and members out there! We're excited to start the New Year celebrating the accomplishments of African women. In this exclusive interview, AWRA co-founder Reem Abdellatif speaks with Sudanese-British comedian Ola Labib, who is known for her charming personality and edgy humor.

Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East
07/08/2020
R&D potential could be key to spark Saudi economy

The impact of COVID-19 and low oil prices has led to even further expected declines in Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product, but research and development could hold the key to an economic reset.

Haaretz.com
09/09/2021
9/11, 20 years on: The day that changed my life forever | Opinion

I was 14 when the Twin Towers collapsed. Here I was, a first-generation daughter of Egyptian, Muslim immigrants, in high school in Elgin, South Carolina, a quiet country town out of whose population of about 1,000 I was the only Middle Eastern kid.

Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East
08/10/2020
Egyptian tech startups offer hope for economy in post-COVID world

While Egypt's economy faces pressure from several factors, such as coronavirus preventative measures, a sudden stop in tourism and record-high debt levels, one bright spot in the economy is a tech boom that has continued even throughout the global pandemic.

Alarabiya
10/09/2019
Gearing up for a blockbuster IPO: Saudi Aramco then and now

When oil giant Saudi Aramco announced its plans to list five percent of its shares publicly, global markets from Hong Kong to New York lined up to compete for a part of the listing - and not just because it's the most profitable company in the world.

Alarabiya
11/20/2019
Saudi Aramco IPO receives $17.1 bln in orders from institutional tranche: Source

The institutional portion of Saudi Aramco 's initial public offering (IPO) on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) is oversubscribed, having received over 64 billion riyals ($17.1 billion) in orders, while the retail tranche has received 10 billion riyals, a banking source told Al Arabiya English on Thursday.

WSJ
04/01/2020
Q+A With Egyptian Billionaire Naguib Sawiris

Egyptian business tycoon Naguib Sawiris tells The Wall Street Journal his family plans to invest billions of dollars in Egypt after the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Mr. Sawiris, a scion of the Christian family that controls the Orascom corporate empire, is currently chairman of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding, a large mobile operator in the Middle East.

WSJ
07/04/2013
Investors Cheer Egypt Transition, See Brief Window of Hope

CAIRO-Judging by Egypt's surging market and rebounding currency a day after the military ousted President Mohammed Morsi, investors believe that Cairo's new leadership will shore up confidence in the country's markets and open the way for new economic aid from Arab neighbors.

WSJ
06/28/2013
Weaker Currency and Inflation Fuel Egyptians' Discontent

CAIRO-Living in Cairo's outskirts without access to clean water, Jihan Younes relies on her housecleaning wages to feed her three children, husband and mother-in-law. But she worries that the 800 Egyptian pounds she earns each month-now worth about $115-is buying less and less. "I pay for my meat in installments," said Mrs.

WSJ
07/01/2013
Egypt's Women Protest, Against Drumbeat of Sexual Harassment

Many women protested in Egypt in defiance of one of a dark reality-the widespread sexual violence against women who are participating in, or simply present at, antigovernment protests. On Sunday, rights groups said, some 50 women were assaulted at Cairo rallies.

Los Angeles Times
02/10/2013
Fear and loathing in Egypt

When I walk into Tahrir Square alone these days, carrying my notebook, I try to remain calm, act like I belong and move with the cascading crowds. If you seem scared or intimidated, they smell your fear. Like other female reporters, I have grown accustomed to being constantly on guard while doing my job.

Los Angeles Times
09/03/2012
In Egypt, state news anchor in head scarf causes a stir

CAIRO - Adorned with delicate makeup, an anchorwoman wearing a head scarf appeared Sunday on Egypt's state television for the first time in its five-decade history. Wearing a cream-colored scarf, Fatma Nabil appeared poised as she read the latest updates on the drafting of Egypt's post-revolution Constitution on the noon news program, followed by a male anchor.

Public Radio International
Egypt's first veiled rapper is sick of sexual harassment

CAIRO, Egypt - Mayam Mahmoud isn't your average hip hop artist. To begin with, she wears a veil. When the nineteen-year-old took to the stage of "Arabs Got Talent" last October, her performance left a lasting impression on young people in Egypt and the Arab world. It also earned her a death threat.