Born in Tanta 10/7/1939, Naema Akef started her career at a very young age. The prodigy started performing at the Akef Circus, owned by her family, and engaged in all types of professional acrobatic games and circus art. Na'ema became the most talented player and the starring feature of the circus. Together with Samia Gamal and Tahioka she was one of the great legends of oriental dance.

Thanks to director Hussein Fawzy who discovered her, Na'ema's career skyrocketed. Fawzy directed more than fifteen movies for Naima Akef. Director Hussein Fawzy couldn't resist the charms of Naima and their working relationship turned into a love relationship, the two got married consequently. Naëma continued to blossom and soon became the most famous musical performer-actress in Egyptian cinema. Na'ema Fawzy joined one of the first professional folkloric groups in the country, Lail Ya Ayn Group, and contributed much to its success.
In 1957, she was nominated as the best dancer in a folklore contest at the Youth Festival held in Moscow. She quit acting in 1964 and devoted the rest of her time to taking care of her son from her second marriage to the accountant, Salah Abdel Aleem. Her greatest movie was perhaps Ya tamr Henna (also then name of a popular song), directed by her husband where she played the role of a young ghawazee dancer doing a stick dance.

Naïma Akef's gracefull performance was never vulgar. Naima did sing, dance and act in several movies, mostly black and white productions. The great Nagua Fuad called Naema Akef her great source of inspiration. "Na'ema moved like magic" Nagua used to say. Naima Akef died of cancer at young age - she was only 27 - in April 23, 1966.