Born in Switzerland to an Egyptian father and an Italian mother, Soraya studied acting at the European Film Actors School in Zurich. She is an accomplished chanson and folk singer. After gaining experience as a stage actress and appearing in short films, she played in one of the major Swiss co-productions, Fredi M. Murer's “Vollmond”. This role and her part in the short film, “Nass” by Felicitas Korn, hugely impressed members of the British band, Reamonn, who hired her to appear in three of their music videos.