What woman who spent thousands on more than 40 procedures to look like ‘Barbie’ looked like before

A woman underwent 43 plastic surgeries in order to transform her appearance and become a 'real Barbie.'

Dalia Naeem is a famed celebrity in her homeland of Iraq, becoming a well-known figure through her work as an actor, presenter and social media personality.

Back in 2023, she took to Instagram – where she has a gigantic following of over one million – in a video in which she flaunted the results of her latest visit under the knife.

However, she also shared a picture of her before the first surgical procedure which set her on the path to a complete transformation.

She looks almost unrecognisable in the earlier image, with her hair not as peroxide blonde, thinner eyebrows, smaller lips and more subtle make-up application.

Dalia Naeem has a huge social media following

Dalia, who is reportedly nicknamed the 'Iraqi Barbie', posed in the video alongside her make-up artist, who can be heard saying: "You look so beautiful, my dear. Like Barbie."

Music to Dalia's ears, no doubt, who responded by complimenting the beautician's fine handy work, saying: "Your make-up is Barbie."

Lip filler and breast enlargement surgery are said to be some of the cosmetic procedures she has undergone.

She has managed to create an uncanny resemblance to the world-renowned toy doll, but not everyone is a fan of the look.

One person simply and meanly commented 'Zombie' on her video, while another labelled her as a 'devil Barbie.'

But with a million Instagram followers and a further 78.9k dedicated fans on her TikTok account, who is the real winner?

Who is Dalia Naeem?

Dalia lives in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad in the Adhamiyah district and earned much acclaim for her performances in TV shows and plays.

Her career began as a TV host on the Iraqi MPC channel and she soon started catching the eye of the public.

She has gone on to perform in plays like Watermelon on Mars and Egyptian Inheritance and also appeared in the 2023 television series Emergency, while winning awards for being the best TV host in Iraq.

Dalia's life hasn't been all glitz and glamour, though, as she was kidnapped in 2024.

Gulf Centre for Human Rights reports that Dalia was leaving a beauty centre in the Al-Dawoodi area of Baghdad when she was seized.

A black car pulled up next to her on the street and then three masked individuals grabbed her and forced her into the waiting vehicle.

However, she miraculously escaped and survived, despite suffering serious injuries.

Dalia managed to jump from the car on the Al-Radwaniyah expressway and was later found injured on the road.

She was then taken to hospital by security forces, with images of her injuries, including a bloody and bruised face, circulating on social media.

Later that month, Dalia's online rival, influencer Om Fahad, was shot dead outside her home by a lone assailant on a motorbike as she sat in her car in the Zayne neighbourhood of Baghdad, the BBC reported at the time.

The pair's feud had been escalating ahead of her death, with it being reported that Dalia had threatened to expose Fahad's alleged relationship with senior Iraqi officials.