[4] She was one of the greatest stars of Egyptian cinema, taking the lead role in sixty films.

In 1958, she played the lead role in the film by Youssef Chahine, Jamila al Jaza'iriya (Jamila, the Algerian) opposite Salah Zulfikar and Ahmed Mazhar, the film was based on the story of Djamila Bouhired.

In 1963, she married the Egyptian intelligence officer and actor, Ihab Nafe, with whom she had her only daughter, Ghada, in 1965.

[5] In 1968, she starred in a film by Kamal El Sheikh, El Ragol El-lazi fakad Zilloh (The Man Who Lost His Shadow) opposite Salah Zulfikar and Kamal El-Shennawi, the film was based on Fathy Ghanem's novel of the same name.

[6] Magda Sabbahi died in her house in Dokki, Cairo,[7] on 16 January 2020, aged 88.