Styled Archives: The MENA's Most Iconic Long Sleek Hair Looks to Date

CairoScene

10-07-2025

The sleek long hair look is everything; it's fierce, it's girl-next-door, it's whatever you want it to be.
Jul 10, 2025
Trends are, as we are now all well aware, cyclical. The return of ancient relics like dramatic bootcut jeans, excessively dark lip liner and, more recently, the moustache necklaces that dominated the early 2010s only goes to show that what goes around comes around. One hair trend that has made its way through the fashion cycle many, many times, is the long sleek hair look. It goes like this: straightened hair, beach curls, bob, straightened hair, beach curls, bob - potentially repeating until the end of time. The mullet makes an occasional appearance every three cycles, maybe.
To celebrate the return of the sleek - sometimes fried - hair look, we've curated a list of iconic Arab celebrities sporting it across the years. Nancy Ajram | 'Betfakar Fi Eih' Music Video 2013
In this iconic music video, Nancy sports sleek hair and emo side bangs with an electric guitar she's not really playing to complete the look. Two years ago, we would've thought this was cringe, but now we kinda wanna replicate it. Somaya ElKhashab | Casino du Liban 2009
Somaya ElKhashab is the queen of long sleek hair. She's had it forever, and she'll probably keep it forever. We live to learn from her. Basma | Middle East International Film Festival 2008
At this screening, Egyptian actress Basma ditches her usual wide curls for a pin-straight look, and early 2000s side bangs. Latifa | Cannes Film Festival 2017
Tunisian singer Latifa bint Alaya El Arfaoui, more commonly known as just Latifa, is well known for her beautiful, long hair. It's a classic, and to her, it never goes out of style. Nadine Labaki | Venice Film Festival 2012
For jury duty at the Venice Film Festival, Nadine Labaki seemed to have chosen to intimidate the rest of the board, ditching her usual soft look for a fierce one. Sherihan | Fawazeer Ramadan 1989
The iconic Sherihan is known for her elaborate updos but, when off set, she lets her long hair loose to hang around her like a curtain. Yasmin Abdelaziz | Photoshoot 2007-2008
In this iconic shoot, Egyptian actress Yasmin Abdelaziz wears her long hair in a classic 2000s half-up, half-down look that compliments her very Y2K cami top. Elissa Khoury | Paris Fashion Week 2013
In this historical image, Elissa is pictured with designer Chantal Thomass, showcasing a lookbook of the most popular looks in history: a bob, and a sleek look. Haifa Wehbe | Cannes Film Festival (Premiere for Oceans Thirteen) 2007
Back in 2007, Haifa Wehbe arrived at the Cannes premiere of 'Ocean 13' looking as fierce as anyone on the cast. Mona Zaki | Venice International Film Festival 2009
Beloved Egyptian actress Mona Zaki showed up to the red carpet at the 66th edition of VIFF in a look that borders on the casual as a girl-next-door aesthetic, but is ultimately fashionable.