A life, tracks in the sand. I was born in the spring of 1944, in the oldest part of Alexandria, right by the Mediterranean, in very poor circumstances. I was 20 when I first came and settled in Germany. It was a country that was still preoccupied with its omnipresent past. A divided country, lots of street battles, students unrest, heated debates everywhere, and even assassinations. The turmoil characterized my first years in Germany. The uprising controversy, together with the profound changes in society, including the impact of reunification, have changed my life radically. Exclusion, fear, and poverty were my constant companions. I had to rely on myself, learned to defy all adversity, and thus determined my own life and went my own way. As an employee in Duisburg, I planned and developed many projects in hydraulic engineering and other engineering structures. Simultaneously, I was able to lecture in German and Arabic in adult education. I also managed to translate and interpret it in the judiciary. The waterways and land sheep that I planned and developed close to nature were exhibited as models for the state of NRW at the International Boat Show in the state capital. During this phase, I discovered and lived my passion for painting. I travelled through Europe in the footsteps of many painters of classical modernism such as Picasso, Mondrian, Duchamp, Braque, Miro, and more. I created many drawings, sculptures, and oil paintings during this time, and art and beauty were also an essential part of my engineering works. Due to the public attention and the impact of my projects, I was asked to take on the planning and management tasks of one of the most important structural change measures of the International Building Exhibition (IBA), the redesign of the inner harbor in Duisburg, as a freelancer. Abdou GmbH was founded and has over twenty years of predominantly large-scale projects such as the redesign of the inner harbour in Duisburg, designed by Sir Norman Foster, London, as project manager, conceptual designer, planner, as well as the task of construction and overall management Another example of many is the parallel canal with connecting lake, large bridges and the infrastructure at the regatta course in the Wedau sports park, which was designed and planned by Abdou GmbH, which was also responsible for the construction and management. At the same time, ARAVISION GmbH and MEDIAVISION GmbH were founded and have produced programs and series for many television stations. Painting has always been an essential part of my work during these years. Many large-format paintings were created during this time in Germany and in my large studio in Alexandria. In it, I dealt with big themes such as love and hate, grief and despair, the very essence of things, and sought answers to the deep questions within me. In Alexandria, I presented my paintings in a large exhibition at L`Atelier D`Alexandrie. A 34-part series about my life was even produced and successfully broadcast in many Arab countries