The Story

I grew up in Egypt. Not fully Egyptian, not fully foreign. Somewhere in between, which honestly is its own kind of world.
Our circle was school friends. The kind of friendships built over years of shared canteens and after-school chaos. Then everyone graduated and scattered. London, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan. And when you move back to Cairo, something feels off. The city is the same. The people are the same. But somewhere between the time zones and the life chapters, the common ground quietly shifted.
That's when Cairo starts to feel small in the strangest way. You're surrounded by people you've known forever ... and somehow, still lonely.
Making new friends here as an adult is genuinely hard. Circles are tight. Everyone already has their people. You go out, but it's always the same group to the same restaurant, or a party where the music is so loud you can't hear yourself think, let alone meet anyone new.
And unlike sipping an Aperol Spritz on an Italian terrace or chatting to a stranger at a pub in England (where that's just what you do) striking up a real conversation with someone new in Cairo isn't as easy as it should be.
I saw the gap. And I decided to do something about it.
I didn't start with a strategy or a brand. I started with an idea and a gut feeling. Volume one was a leap of faith.  I had no idea who would show up or whether anyone even wanted this. The nerves in the room were real ... everyone hovering, not sure where to stand. But within an hour the conversations had taken over and nobody wanted to leave.
Turns out, people were waiting for it.
Eight volumes later, Work Afters has become something I couldn't have built alone ... and I didn't. Friends, family, and a community that kept showing up, kept spreading the word, kept making it what it is.
People come not knowing a soul and leave making plans for the weekend. Some have become best friends. Some are dating (we don't take credit for that, but we're not not taking credit for it either.)
An Idea. A vision. And midweek nights worth leaving the house for.

See you After Work!