Haifa Wehbe Banned from Performing in Egypt

Egypt's Musicians Syndicate has barred Lebanese singer-actress Haifa Wehbe from performing in the country.

Dr. Mohamed Abdullah, spokesperson for the Musicians' Syndicate, said that the syndicate's board of directors, headed by Mustafa Kamel, the ban follows extensive discussions over maintaining the standards and controls of singing in Egypt and regulating artistic criteria in line with professional laws.

The ban comes after Wehbe failed to attend the Syndicate's ongoing investigations into the complaint filed by her former business manager, Khaled Mustafa Hassanein, known as Khaled El-Tohamy.

Last December, El-Tohamy filed a complaint against Wehbe accusing her of insulting and defaming him.

In the complaint, he alleged she falsely claimed that he had made work agreements for her without her knowledge and received money in exchange for the agreements, which harmed "his reputation within the artistic scene."

In January, a decision was issued to refer the superstar for the investigation.

Wehbe, born on March 10, 1976, is a Lebanese singer, actress, and TV anchor. She is considered one of the best female singers in Lebanon and the Arab world.

The Lebanese artist won the title of “Miss South Lebanon” at the age of sixteen, which opened the doors for her to work as a model on the catwalk as well as in music videos and TV commercials.

She was considered one of the most famous models in the Arab World. Thereafter, she worked as a TV anchor at the A.R.T. television network, however, she left that path behind to begin her music career.

In 2002, Wehbe released her first album, “Houwa El Zaman” (It Is The Time).

She made her acting debut in the 2008 Pepsi-produced film “Sea of Stars”, which was soon followed by many appearances in the Egyptian cinema and television industry.

Wehbe has released over seven albums and more than a dozen songs.