Haifa Wehbeh, a famous Lebanese-Egyptian singer and actress, was once again facing a ban from performing in Egypt. This decision was made by the Egyptian musicians' union, as confirmed by the union's board meeting minutes dated March 16, reported by the Egyptian media al-Ahram, stating that the artist was denied "permission to sing in the Arab Republic of Egypt" following "the outcome of investigations" conducted on her.

The newspaper stated that this ban followed a complaint filed against Wehbeh by her former manager and member of the same union, Khaled Moustapha Hassanin, also known as Khaled al-Tahami, accusing her of "defamation, slander, and misconduct." The article said that the singer failed to appear on two occasions, in January and February, for judicial summons related to this complaint.

Multiple precedents

A famous icon throughout the Arab world, Wehbeh already faced multiple similar bans, the latest dating back to August 2024 after an alleged "breach of contractual obligations" with Yasser al-Hariri, a major Egyptian music producer and event organizer, following the cancellation of a concert on Egypt's northern coast where she was supposed to perform.

Initially suspended, the union's legal affairs department eventually lifted the singer's ban, as well as the suspension of her work permit after resolving the dispute. A positive outcome that has not yet been replicated regarding this new ban.

Previously, Wehbeh was also banned in 2017 due to a dispute with another producer, Mohammad al-Sobki, preventing her from participating in two major concerts.

A film considered "sexually provocative" featuring the diva, Halawet Rooh (The Beauty of the Soul), was censored in 2014 by the Egyptian Prime Minister, Ibrahim Mahlab, before an Egyptian court lifted the governmental ban.

'I'm not listening to you'

Wehbeh reacted on Wednesday by posting photos of herself strolling through the streets of Paris: "Keep talking, I'm not listening to you. Blah blah blah..." she captioned a social media post.

Last December, the star said that Tahami was no longer part of her management team and warned against any collaboration with him. She also claimed that he had attempted to "disrupt her concerts and harm her in various ways" before.

Contacted, Wehbeh's office did not respond to requests for comment.

The Egyptian musicians' union previously targeted other artists by issuing similar bans or revoking their union membership status where the artistic sector in Egypt is controlled by Egyptian authorities. In 2022, the union banned 19 Egyptian artists of "Mahraganat" or "electro shaabi," a very popular musical genre in the Arab world, from performing in Egypt, stating that their songs encourage "decadent behavior" and do not match the "public taste."

Wehbeh had a dispute with another former manager, the Egyptian Mohammad Waziri. The latter was arrested in July 2020 after allegedly stealing $4 million from the artist and filing a lawsuit months earlier in the Egyptian family court to prove his alleged marriage with the artist, who repeatedly denied any union with Waziri.

Born in 1976, Wehbeh became well-known after winning the Miss South Lebanon beauty contest in 1992. She then moved into fashion, advertising, and television before beginning a career as an actress and singer, whose albums have been highly successful in the Arab world, selling millions of copies.

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.