Ola Ghanem was born in Cairo. Her father worked as an architect while her mother was an interior designer.

Ola graduated from the Photography division at the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1994 but elected not to continue her studies at the Institute of Theatrical Arts. She came to the public’s attention through her involvement in Mohamed Fouad’s song “Hansaak” (“I will Forget You”). Ola has also appeared on TV commercials.