Al-Shamahi grew up in Birmingham, United Kingdom,[1] and has Yemeni and Syrian ancestry.[1][4][6] She has a degree from Imperial College London and is currently doing a PhD at University College London in the Department of Anthropology.[7] In 2015 she was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.[8] She is a Trustee of the International Association for the Study of Arabia,[6] which promotes research relating to the cultural and natural heritage of the Arabian Peninsula.