<p>Aluminum alloys, particularly aluminum 5xxx series, have relatively low hardness and have poor wear resistance. Incorporating various reinforcement particles has proved to be an effective strategy for enhancing the properties of these alloys. This research investigates the fabrication and characterization of Aluminum 5052 (Al-5052) surface composites (SCs) by reinforcing a hybrid blend of silicon carbide, iron, magnesium, and zinc dust in the Al matrix. Multi-pass friction stir processing (MP-FSP) was utilized to achieve a balance of improved mechanical and tribological properties in the fabricated SCs. The study compares the properties of the fabricated SCs with its counterpart base metal (BM). The microstructural analysis revealed that MP-FSP was successful in achieving a uniform distribution of reinforcement particles within the matrix. The incorporation of multi-principal element (MPE) reinforcement particles indicated an improvement of 30.5, 12.85, and 40% in ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and microhardness, respectively, compared to the BM. The enhanced tribological performance of the SCs was evidenced by improved wear resistance (42, 32, and 27% reduction in wear rates) compared to the BM when tested under loads of 15, 20, and 25&#xa0;N, respectively. The SCs demonstrated an improved corrosion resistance of about 22% compared to the BM as well.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>