Born in Cairo, Kamal attended Egypt's prolific Victoria College, where he learned multiple languages, including English. He went on to graduate from The American University in Cairo with a BA in English. He came to the United States on a student visa, earning a master's degree in playwriting from the University of Utah. At the university, he performed in such productions as Hamlet, King Lear, and War and Peace. He also worked at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, where he not only performed on stage but also designed and painted the sets and backdrops for the theater's productions.