She is featured in numerous film and TV productions, among which is the television series Every Week Has a Friday, which earned her a nomination for an International Emmy Award, making Shalaby the first Egyptian nominee.

Menna Shalabi began her acting career in 2001 with a role Morning and Evening Talk, based on a story by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, a popular and widely viewed television drama miniseries at the time.

She collaborated with Yousry Nasrallah in After the Battle (2012), which brought Egyptian cinema back to Cannes after a 15-year absence, and Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces (2016), which world premiered at the Locarno Film Festival before it was released in France and Switzerland.

Aside from her acting profession, Menna has participated in various charity initiatives for persons with disabilities, raising awareness about the difficulties these people experience in Egyptian society.

She also received multiple honors for her television roles, including the Critic's Award for Best Actress at the Arab Satellite Channels Festival for her performance in Sunset Oasis (2017).

[citation needed] On 25 November 2022, she was arrested at Cairo International Airport for her possession of substances including Marijuana, after returning from New York City.