It’s unclear when exactly Lohan and Shammas crossed paths but, according to her 2023 Allure cover story published on June 8, they met on a Monday night at a Dubai restaurant. The actor was out with friends, while the financier was accompanied by colleagues, and they briefly chatted with each other. “I said, ‘You look like someone I know.’ He was like, ‘No, I don’t, who?'” After speaking for hours that evening, Lohan said to Shammas, “‘I feel like you’re the person I’m going to be with forever,’ also admitting, “I’d never been able to talk to someone like this.”
In February 2020, Lohan shared a picture on Instagram with a group of friends at a Dubai music festival, which featured herself, Lohan’s sister, Aliana, and Shammas. According to People, the “Freaky Friday” actor captioned the photo, “@aliana lovely night with sister and my boyfriend bader❤️ such a magical night.” This sparked a frenzy among Lohan’s many fan followers but not long after, she deleted the post.