Ahmed’s Journey from Cairo to Maastricht

Ahmed, an electrical engineer from Cairo, arrived in the Netherlands on a cool April morning. He was full of exited anticipation as he greeted the driver The Relocation Company had arranged for him. Along with the airport pickup, he received a welcome bag filled with gifts from FairPlay Engineering. “Everything in the bag was great,” he recalls with a smile, “except for the umbrella. I didn’t understand why they’d give me that! In Cairo, I’d never needed one in my life.” Just two hours later, as the sky opened up and rain poured down, he realized how essential that little umbrella would become. “I knew right then—I was going to have to get used to a lot of new things.”

A few months after he arrived in the Netherlands, we sat down with Ahmed to hear about his relocation experience. His journey started quickly “Once I applied for the position everything moved so fast,” he said. “In about six weeks, my whole life was upside down.”. Although he wasn’t actively looking for a role in the Netherlands, he had been considering a move to Europe, drawn by the prospect of exciting career opportunities and the chance to find a better work-life balance. He also wanted to build a life in a clean, green city, with good infrastructure and systems, for the family he hopes to have one day. So when he received the job offer from FairPlay Engineering, Ahmed knew the opportunity aligned with his aspirations for the future, so he decided to commit to it fully and jump in with both feet.

Armed with optimism and determination, he faced the practical and emotional hurdles that came with his journey from Cairo to Maastricht.

In Cairo, Ahmed’s life was built around his family and friends. He shared a comfortable home with his family, and the transition to living on his own in Maastricht came with some challenges. As is typical in the Netherlands his apartment was much smaller than he was used to—around 30 square meters—. “I had to get used to handling everything on my own—cleaning, ironing, and making sure the apartment was in order so eventually the manageable size was a benefit once I got used to it” he recalls.

Living without his family also meant being away from his mother’s home-cooked meals, in the grand scheme moving to another country and starting a new job, cooking seemed like a small thing, but it was not so small in practice. “I’d never cooked before in my life,” Ahmed laughs. “Back home, my mother always cooked for us or I went out for dinner, and suddenly, I was on my own and restaurants are much more expensive in the Netherlands.” His cooking trails included a few mishaps, especially in the beginning. “I burned the rice so many times,” he admits. “I would call my mother on video chat so often, and she’d stay on with me until I finished the dish. It was like cooking lessons, live from Cairo.”

Aside from adjusting to living and cooking on his own, the change in social life was perhaps the hardest to handle. In Cairo, Ahmed enjoyed going out with his friends multiple times a week, often late into the night. The city was always alive, with restaurants, cafes, and shops open even past midnight. But in Maastricht, things were different. “I Googled a lot about the city before moving, but I never thought to check when the shops closed,” he recalls. “It was something I didn’t expect. Here, most shops close by 6 p.m., which was a big adjustment coming from Cairo where everything stays open late. Everyone talks about the great work-life balance here, but you don’t think about how that applies to shopkeepers too!”

In Cairo, cycling wasn’t exactly a common pastime, but knowing how central it was to life in the Netherlands, Ahmed took bike lessons before he arrived. “Now, I cycle everywhere, and it’s something I always enjoy,” he says. The well-designed bike lanes and the freedom to explore the city at his own pace quickly made cycling one of his favorite activities. “It’s such a great way to get around and see the beauty of the city and the nature around it.”

Beyond cycling, Ahmed found the Dutch work-life balance a welcome change. “That was a big draw for me—knowing that I could have a challenging career and still have time to enjoy life.” The balance gave him the freedom to spend time outdoors, explore new places, and truly soak in his surroundings.

Travel also quickly became a favorite new activity for Ahmed, he is a big fan of the NS (Dutch Railways) off-peak subscription which offered him the chance to travel across the Netherlands with ease, and at a lower tariff on weekends. “It’s been fantastic for exploring,” he says. He has already visited many surrounding cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, The Hague, and Leiden. After each trip, he felt more integrated into Dutch life. “The more I see of the country, the more I feel like I belong here.”

Ahmed’s exploration didn’t stop at the borders of the Netherlands. His first trip outside the country was to Germany, but it won’t be the last. “I’m excited to visit more countries in Europe—it’s so easy to travel here, and that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”

For anyone thinking about moving to the Netherlands, Ahmed’s advice is simple: “Give it time. The first months are hard, but it gets easier. Don’t make any big decisions in your first year—just take things as they come.” He also recommends connecting with others who share a similar background to ease the transition. “Having friends from the same country really helped. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone in this.”

Ahmed encourages others to do their research, particularly about the city they’re moving to and practical things like local supermarkets, transportation, and opening hours. “Knowing these little things in advance helps make the transition smoother,” he says.

Now, a few months into his journey, Ahmed is enjoying his new life in the Netherlands. While he still misses Cairo’s energy and his loved ones, he’s found a sense of balance and calm in Maastricht. “The Netherlands offers so much—the quality of life, the clean environment, and the safety. It’s different from what I knew, but it’s starting to feel like home.”