Maram Hammadi recently made headlines when his barbershop was asked to provide haircuts for Team Egypt during the 2026 World Cup. As the story spread as far as The New York Times, Hammadi and his team found themselves in the national spotlight.
Hammadi’s work was displayed for audiences across the globe. But what many don’t know are the humble beginnings of this breakout entrepreneur. What became a dream come true, as Hammadi cut the hair of his childhood heroes, started with a young boy living in the war-torn streets of Iraq.
Humble Beginnings
Maram grew up in Iraq. Life was simple: a loving family, attending school, and playing soccer during his free time. However, everything changed when war struck his home.
“We were all just a family together. I didn’t know. I played soccer on the streets while the war was happening.”
Maram’s father had done work with the United States government, so when the U.S. and Iraq were at war, it was no longer safe for his family. Neighbors called them traitors, and quickly, home lost its sense of safety. For his father’s protection, the United States government extracted him and took him to an undisclosed location for years. Maram and his family had no idea where their father was, but they didn’t have time to dwell on it because their lives were in danger as well.
Maram fled to Jordan by car while his brothers left for Turkey. He was only 16 years old.
New Beginnings
For three years, Maram lived in Jordan in a refugee camp. At first, he made tea for the locals, which earned him enough to stay and survive. But after some time, he heard about the United Nations. He applied, and from there, the story of his new life began.
“Spokane chose me. God just gave this love to this person who says, ‘Yeah, it’s okay for him to come.’”
Maram arrived on July 3, 2012, with expectations of skyscrapers and taxis, all of which Spokane didn’t have. He was met by two workers from World Relief and an interpreter. The first words Maram heard were, “You made it. Welcome home. You’re safe now.” Maram wept, having gone so long without feeling at home. He knew Spokane was going to be a new chapter in his story, unlike any before.
The team at World Relief Spokane helped Maram secure housing, a job, and eventually his citizenship. His first job was as a dishwasher at Panda Express. He worked hard for two years until he was promoted to kitchen manager. After a few more years working at different restaurants in Spokane, Maram decided to shift industries and pursue hair school.
Journeying Beyond Spokane
After graduation, he worked at Jazz Salon in downtown Spokane, where he stayed for two years. He then had the opportunity to work in the oil fields of North Dakota, which he did for a year while saving money. In 2018, he came to Seattle for a vacation from North Dakota and ended up never leaving.Though Maram took a break from hair, his journey in the world of cosmetology was far from over. While in Seattle, he found work under an Arabic barber, where he stayed for five years until he decided to take a risk and open his own barbershop.
“I was all like, I don’t know if this is going to happen or not. But what am I going to lose? I came with nothing.”
The community came around Maram to make this dream a reality. Someone did the speakers for him, another helped with the electrical work, and the chairs were bought off Facebook. Before too long, Jazz Barbershop was started.
“I didn’t get a loan, I didn’t borrow money, it was all just love from people.”
Opportunity of a Lifetime
The barbershop took off, and soon it became the most successful business in the plaza. But the success didn’t stop there.
One day, a former client called Maram and asked if he would be interested in cutting hair for Egypt’s national men’s soccer team. Some World Cup games were being held in Seattle, and Team Egypt was looking for a barber. In disbelief that an opportunity this good could come his way, Maram sent over pictures of his work, not expecting anything to come of it. To Maram’s surprise, the next day he got a call asking if he and his team would cut hair for 26 members of Team Egypt.
The opportunity brought even more publicity and business to the shop, and the future is bright for Maram, his family, and his business.
“Since then, it has been so much love and busy and amazing. It pushed me to build another location and now I’m working on it, and it will be done in 2 months. God is great.”
It’s hard to believe that a young boy fleeing war-torn Iraq could find himself a business owner, husband, father, and United States citizen just years later. Maram’s story is a reminder that even through seasons of darkness, the journey continues, and there is always hope on the horizon.