Al Arabiya
150px
Launched	March 3, 2003 (2003-03-03)
Network	Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC)
Owned by	Saudi Arabia
Picture format	1080i HDTV - Scrambled 576i SDTV - Free
Country	Saudi Arabia
Language	Arabic
Broadcast area	Worldwide
Headquarters	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website	alarabiya.net (Arabic) alarabiya.net/english (English)
Availability
Satellite
Nilesat 102	11727 V - 27500 - 5/6 [1]
Arabsat 4B	11919 H - 27500 - 3/4 [2]
Hot Bird 9	11747 H - 27500 - 3/4 [3]
SKY Italia	Channel 562
Cable
naxoo (Switzerland)	Channel 280
Fukushima TV	50

Al Arabiya (Arabic: العربية‎ al-ʿArabiyyah; "The Arabic One") is a Saudi-owned pan-Arabist^[1] television news channel broadcast in Arabic. Launched on March 3, 2003,^[2] the channel is based in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates, and is majority-owned by the Saudi broadcaster Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC).

General manager of Al Arabiya is Abdulrahman al Rashed.^[3]

A free-to-air channel, Al Arabiya carries news, current affairs, business and financial markets, sports, talk shows, and documentaries. It is rated by the BBC among the top pan-Arab stations by Middle East audiences.^[4] The channel has been criticized for having a "pro-Saudi agenda",^[5] and it was once banned in Iraq by the US-installed Governing Council for "incitement to murder" for broadcasting audio tapes of Saddam Hussein.^[4]

On January 26, 2009, American president Barack Obama gave his first formal interview as president to the television channel.^[6]

Al Arabiya is reported to be referred to as "Al Abraiya" that means "Hebrew" in Arabic by Saudi regious conservatives.^[7]

Content and Al Jazeera rivalry[link]

Al Arabiya was created to be a direct competitor of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera.^[4] As a response to Al-Jazeera's criticism of the Saudi royal family throughout the 1990s, members of the Saudi royal family established Al-Arabiya in Dubai in 2002.^[8] According to a 2008 New York Times profile of Al Arabiya director Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, the channel works "to cure Arab television of its penchant for radical politics and violence," with Al Jazeera as its main target.

Al Arabiya is said to be the second frequently watched channel after Al Jazeera in Saudi Arabia.^[9]

Al Arabiya reporter in Jerusalem

Programs[link]

Saudi Special Mission is Al Arabiya longest-running investigative journalism/current affairs television program. Broadcasts on Al Arabiya Pan Arab Channel based in Dubai, it premiered on 19 October 2003 and is still running. The Special Mission Team Founding the program did much to set the ongoing tone of the program.

Based on the Investigative Panorama concept, the program addresses a single issue in depth each week, showing either a locally produced program or a relevant documentary Stories from many areas in the World. The program has won many awards for investigative journalism, and broken many high-profile stories. A notable early example of this was the show's exposé on the appalling living conditions endured by many Children living in rural Africa, East Asia etc. .

Special Mission is presented in a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing.

Special Mission is a program an investigative program that aims to uncover the truth about puzzling topics which are unclear to the public, by taking them step by step into the investigative process, and build the momentum accordingly. Issues like politics, economy, and even religion are addressed. The atmosphere of secrecy and caution creates the intensity of the program. Presented by Correspondents and Reporters.

Edaat (Arabic:  إضاءات, meaning Spotlights), hosted by Turki Al-Dakhil, airs every Thursday at 2:00 PM (Saudi Arabia time) and lasts one hour.^[10] The show consists of one-on-one interviews with influential regional figures, such as journalists, writers, activists, politicians, etc.

Investment and ownership[link]

The original investment in Al Arabiya was $300 million by the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), Lebanon's Hariri Group, and other investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Persian Gulf states.^[4]

Through MBC, Abdulaziz bin Fahd and his maternal uncle Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim own and have control over Al Arabiya.^[11]

Track record and controversies[link]

Al Arabiya was started in response to Qatar's pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera, but has languished behind in audience popularity surveys, according to reports by University of Maryland professor Shibley Telhami.^[12][13] Al Arabiya has been criticized for being an arm of Saudi foreign policy, or what the United States would term public diplomacy, as it is seen as being part of "a concerted Saudi attempt to dominate the world of cable and satellite television media in the Arab world and steal the thunder of Egypt."^[14][15] Over the past couple of years several journalists and editors have been dismissed because of their coverage; In 2011 Al Arabiya fired Hafez El-Mirazi for criticizing the channel’s coverage of the Egyptian uprising^[16] while in 2009 Courtney C. Radsch lost her job the day after publishing an article about safety problems on the national Emirates airline.^[17]

Al Arabiya had been banned from reporting from Iraq by the country's interim government in November 2004 after it broadcast an audio tape on November 16 purportedly made by the deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.^[4] The Iraqi government had also banned the channel on September 7, 2006 for one month for what it called "imprecise coverage".

On February 14, 2005, Al Arabiya was the first news satellite channel to air news of the assassination of Rafik Hariri,^[18] who was one of its early investors.

On October 9, 2008, the Al Arabiya website (www.alarabiya.net) was hacked.^[19]

On September 2, 2008, Iran expelled Al Arabiya's Tehran bureau chief Hassan Fahs. He was the third Al Arabiya correspondent expelled from Iran since the network opened an office there.^[20] On June 14, 2009 the Iranian government ordered the Al Arabiya office in Tehran to be closed for a week for "unfair reporting" of the Iranian presidential election. Seven days later, amid the 2009 Iranian election protests, the network's office was "closed indefinitely" by the government.^[21]

Slain reporters[link]

In September 2003 Al Arabiya reporter Mazen al-Tumeizi was killed on camera in Iraq when a US helicopter fired on a crowd in Haifa Street, Baghdad.^[22]

In February 2006, three Al Arabiya reporters were abducted and murdered while covering the aftermath of the bombing of a mosque in Samarra, Iraq. Among them was correspondent Atwar Bahjat, an Iraqi national

Barack Obama appearance[link]

On January 26, 2009 President of the United States Barack Obama gave his first formal interview as president to Al Arabiya,^[23] delivering the message to the Muslim world that "Americans are not your enemy", while also reiterating that "Israel is a strong ally of the United States" and that they "will not stop being a strong ally of the United States".^[6] The White House contacted Al Arabiya's Washington Bureau chief, Hisham Melhem, directly just hours before the interview and asked him not to announce it until an official announcement was made by the administration.^[23]

Online[link]

The Al Arabiya internet news service (alarabiya.net) was launched in 2004 initially in Arabic, and was joined by an English-language service in 2007, and Persian and Urdu services in 2008. The channel also operates a business website that covers financial news and market data from the Middle East in Arabic (alaswaq.net). The Al Arabiya News Channel is available live online on JumpTV and Livestation.

The Al Arabiya website has been plagued with numerous technical difficulties during the Egyptian protests at the end of January, 2011. The site very often goes offline with error message as such:

"The website is down due to the heavy traffic to follow up with the Egyptian crisis and it will be back within three hours (Time of message: 11GMT)"

Competitors[link]

• Al Jazeera
• BBC Arabic Television
• Alhurra
• Rusiya Al-Yaum
• Al-Alam News Network

References[link]

External links[link]

	Dubai portal
	television portal
	journalism portal

• Official website: English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu
• Watch Al-Arabiya TV Live
• العربية مباشر
• BBC Profile: Al Arabiya TV
• Al Arabiya at LyngSat Address
• Al Arabiya Live tv

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Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed (Arabic: أحمد خليفاتي محمد‎) better known by his stage name Cheb Mami (Arabic: شاب مامي‎), (born in Saïda, Algeria on 1 January 1966) is an Algerian-born raï singer. He sings and speaks in Algerian Arabic, French and sometimes, as on Layali, in Egyptian Arabic.

As of July 2010, Mami was imprisoned in France, where he was found guilty of drugging and forcing a former romantic partner to undergo a failed abortion. A Parisian court found him guilty at trial and sentenced him to five years in prison. He was released in March 2011 on parole.^[1]

Beginnings[link]

Cheb Mami was born in Graba-el-wed (Arabic: غربة الواد), a populous quarter of Saïda (Arabic: سعيدة), Algeria. Located 170 kilometres south of Oran, the city of Saida is on the high mesas of southwestern Algeria. Cheb Mami grew up to a family of factory workers. He began singing and playing the accordion on Saida streets and by 1980 began performing at local weddings and ceremonies.^[2]

In 1982, the 16-year-old adolescent sang on the Alhan wa Chabab radio show, a singing competition organised by Radio Télevision Algérienne. He sang "El Marsam" (The Sanctuary) a classic of Oranese music from the 1920s. The audience was transfixed by the sheer emotion of his performance and by his concordant vocal intonations which captured perfectly the flavour of the song's title. The judges, who represented the government which refused to admit even the existence of raï, gave the first prize to the contestant that sang a cover version of a hit by the famous Egyptian diva, Umm Kulthum, but were forced to acknowledge the standing ovation Mami received by awarding him second prize.

Cheb Mami was spotted by Boualem, the producer of the Oran label, Disco Maghreb, and the cassette waltz began.^[3]

Career[link]

It was in 1985 that Mami came to Paris and found his musical niche. Raï fused blues, funk, salsa, reggae, hip hop and Algerian rhythms, while integrating touches of his idols Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and French rapper MC Solaar.

Cheb Mami made his first official public appearance at the First Oran Raï Festival in 1985, which marked the official recognition of the genre by the Algerian authorities.^[3]

He was in military service for two years in Algeria but was an entertainer on army bases. After that, in May 1989, Mami returned to Paris at the Olympia, rejuvenating raï music. He began making recordings and performing in cabarets in the Paris suburb of Barbès. He also toured the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Scandinavia and England.

Mami's music is a blend of Mediterranean and Western influences including Turkish, Flamenco and Greek music as well as Latin music. His voice is tinged with Andalusian accents, and his music is an amalgamation of the traditional and the modern styles of singing and creation of music.

In 1999, Mami topped the French pop charts with a groundbreaking duet with French rapper K-Mel, "Parisien du Nord". The song was an anthem against racism that seamlessly made the transition between hip hop and raï, and introduced throngs of young new audiences to raï. This song explores the racist issues between Arabs and French and the challenges of identity.^[2]

international recognition[link]

When Sting's album Brand New Day was released in 1999, the pair's duet, "Desert Rose", appeared on singles charts around the world, and led to television appearances on Saturday Night Live, the Today Show, Jay Leno, David Letterman, the Grammy Awards telecast and even a live performance at the Super Bowl".^[4]

Soon after his collaboration with Sting, Mami's released perhaps his most successful recording, the album Dellali, produced by former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers. The album's lead single was "Le Raï C'est Chic", on which Sting returned the favor by providing backing vocals.^[5]

These successes fulfilled Mami's long-held dream of internationalising raï sounds, and has led him to be called the "Prince of Raï".^[5] Although Mami has been able to be recognized by mainstream media in the United States, Americans often equate his raï music genre with rock in the US during the 1950s and 1960s.^[6] Americans believe raï to be "North African punk,^[6]" a genre of music for the purpose of rebelling against the government and resembling the music of ‘young rockers’^[6] in the US, when in reality this music plays a very different role in the life of the North African diasporic community in France.^[6] Although raï does include narratives of the various struggles of this community against "the Algerian state or against the forces of ‘tradition’",^[6] it is also the "music of the racialized Other"^[6] which chronicles struggles with racism and identity of North African people in France.

Arrest, imprisonment and release[link]

Mami was under an international arrest warrant after being indicted in October 2006 for "voluntary violence, sequestration and threats" against an ex-girlfriend, and failing to answer a court summons on May 14, 2007. He was accused of having tried to force Isabelle Simon, his former girlfriend and a magazine photographer, to have an forced abortion.^[7] During a trip to Algeria in the summer of 2005, the victim Isabelle Simon was locked in a house belonging to one of Mami's friends, where an abortive procedure was attempted on her. Back in France, however, she realized the fetus was still alive. Mami had accused his manager Michel Lecorre (a.k.a. Michel Levy) of organizing the abortion plan; Michel Levy was later sentenced to four years for plotting and organizing the assault.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Mami was arrested in France several days before his trial; he was taken into custody by officials at a Paris airport as he arrived into the country from Algeria on June 22, 20010.^[12] The following July, a Paris court found him guilty of drugging and attempted forcible abortion, and sentenced him to five years in prison.^[13]

On 21 September 2010, his lawyers applied for conditional release, a request that was turned down on 12 October 2010.^[14] Upon a second appeal however, the French court agreed for his conditional release on 23 March 2011.^[15]

Selected discography[link]

• Prince of Raï (1989)
  • Tracks: Ana Mazel  • Dertfik Confiance  • Douni El Bladi  • Lella Rani Ensaaf El Mektoub  • Ralia Mahboubit Galbi  • Tayo Tayo Adiani
• Let Me Raï (1991)
  • Tracks: Yo Yo  • Haoulou  • Let Me Cry  • Douha Alia  • Fatma  • Rah Eddani  • Khalihoum  • Maandi  • Manimane  • Alache Alache
• Saida (1994)
  • Tracks: H'babi  • Ma Ma  • Gaulbak K'ssah  • Hay Wadi Hay Galbi  • Bent Bareh  • Baida  • Ghi N'Ti  • Li Fet ghi Mnem  • Zouaji  • Alache Alache  • Trab
• Douni El Bladi (1996)
  • Tracks: Douni el Bladi  • Dertfik Confiance  • Ralia Mahboubit Galbi  • Ana Mazel  • Lella Rai Saaf El Mektoub  • Tayo Tayo Adiani  • Ouach Etsalini  • Idha Enti Bitik  • Chedi Bentek  • Maniche Aadouk  • Ghebnouha  • Sehrane Ouahdi  • Alauni (Instrumental)
• Meli Meli (1999)
  • Tracks: Meli Meli  • Alache Alik  • Bledi  • Rani Maak El Youm  • Fatma  • Hada Ch'h  • Hatachi  • Bekatni  • Cheikh  • Azwaw  • Parisien du Nord  • Marseillais du Nord  • Au Pays des Merveillus  • Azwaw Alternative
• Dellali (2001)
  • Tracks: Raï C'est Chic  • Viens Habibi  • Madanite  • Rim Lachoua  • Yahamami  • Ana Oualache  • Ma Vie 2 fois  • Tzazae  • Zarartou  • Manazureh  • Machi Chaba  • Hoaulou  • Khalouni
• Lazrag Saani (2002)
  • Tracks: Lazrag Saani  • Zazarkhatri  • Rouhi Douri Yalala  • Mani Sabar  • Madiriche Aliya  • Hay Delali  • Delali Mantzaoutchi  • Raikoum Rai Ma  • Salou Maana  • Derti Jauline  • Ana Khatini  • Hoaulou  • Sair Fer
• Du Sud au Nord (2003)
  • Tracks: Des 2 Côtés feat. Mouss et Hakim / Parisien du Nord feat. K.mel / Madanite feat. Ziggy Marley  • Desert Rose feat. Sting  • Cosi Celeste feat. Zucchero  • Nagumo feat. Susheela Raman  • Enfant d'esfrinque feat. Corneille  • Clando feat. 113  • Youm Wara Youm feat. Samira Said  • Fugitif feat. Tonton David  • The Best Times of Our Lives feat. Aswad  • Koum Tara feat. Enrico Macias  • Azwaw 2 feat. Idir
• Live au Grand Rex (2004)
  • Tracks: Azwaw  • Parisien du Nord  • Nagumo feat. Susheela Raman  • Mamzareli  • Mazal Souvenir Aandi  • Desert Rose  • Koum Tara feat. Enrico Macias  • Bledi - Mon pays  • Cosi Celeste feat. Zucchero  • Alache Alik  • Meli Meli  • Des 2 Côtés feat. Mous et Hakim  • Haoulou  • Zarartou
• Layali (2006)
  • Tracks: Halili feat. Zaho  • Gualbi Gualbi  • Inshallah  • Tigi Tigi  • Gaiye bil Salama  • Ahla Layali Omrina  • Ajlissou  • Nos Couleurs feat. K.Maro  • Mama Dabia  • Ellie Beina Intaha  • Amshi Btraring  • Non c'sera non (Omri Omri) feat. Sween

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website (French/English/Arabic)
• Cheb Mami's lyrics English translation on Shawshara.com
• [www.zikooo.com/search/mp3/1/cheb-mami.html Télécharger Cheb Mami Mp3]

Haifa Wehbe هيفاء وهبي
Haifa Wehbe during a F1 Powerboat World Championship's concert in Abu Dhabi.
Background information
Born	1974 (age 37–38) Mahrouna, Lebanon
Genres	Arabic pop, World
Occupations	Singer, model, Designer, Actress
Years active	1990s- (model) 2002–present (Singer) 2007–present (Actress)
Website	http://www.haifawehbe.com

Haifa Wehbe (Arabic: هيفاء وهبي) (born 1974^[1][2][3][4] in Mahrouna, Lebanon), is a Lebanese model, actress, and singer born to a Lebanese father and Egyptian mother who rose to fame in the Arab world as runner up for Miss Lebanon and later through the release of her debut album Houwa El-Zaman (Arabic: هو الزمن) in 2002. She is known through her music for her sex appeal, provocative mannerisms and image. She has so far released four studio albums and made her acting debut in 2008 Pepsi-produced film Sea of Stars. Wehbe is one of the most well-known female singers in the Arab World and is considered one of the most successful Lebanese singers. In 2006, she was on People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people list.^[5]

Early life[link]

Wehbe was born in Mahrouna, a small Shia farming town in Lebanon, to a Lebanese father, Nadim antar, and Egyptian mother, but shortly after her family had moved to Beirut where she grew up listening to jazz and R&B and began to work as a full-time model at a young age.^[6] Wehbe won the title of Miss South Lebanon at the age of sixteen.^[7] Wehbe was a runner-up at the Miss Lebanon competition.^[8]

Wehbe also made a name for herself when she starred in a music video clip for the famous Arabic crooner, George Wassouf. By 1996, she had appeared on over one hundred magazine covers.

Career[link]

Performing in Cairo

[edit] Houwa El-Zaman (2002–2003)

In 2002, Wehbe released her first album, titled Houwa El-Zaman (Arabic: هو الزمن, English: "It Is The Time"), which became a commercial success, in part thanks to the popularity of her first single "Agoul Ahwak" (Arabic: أقول أهواك, English: "I Say I Love You").

[edit] Baddi Eish and television career (2004–2007)

Wehbe released her second studio album Baddi Eesh (Arabic: بدي عيش, English: "I Want to Live") in early 2005 and lived up to expectations due to the success of its lead single "Ya Hayat Albi." Released after the assassination of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri, the title single of the album is about "freedom, considered to be among the most basic of human rights".^[9] Her follow-up single became her biggest hit to date, "Ana Haifa" (Arabic: أنا هيفاء, English: "I Am Haifa"), which became her novelty song. In 2006 she released a follow up single "Bus al-Wawa" (Arabic: بوس الواوا, English: "Kiss the booboo"), the song was later used in a Pepsi advertisement. The song was also voted Song of the Year in 2006 by Radio Scope and Sawt Al Musika.^[10]

In July 2005, Wehbe, along with 14 other celebrities from the Arab world, appeared on the live pan-Arab reality series Al-Wadi (Arabic: الوادي, English: The Farm‎), based on the French reality show La Ferme Célébrités. Wehbe's role featured songs from her then new album.

Wehbe was the first Arab artist appear on the Italian television channel Rai Uno at Piazza Navona in Rome, performing in front of celebrities and fashion designers. Haifa Wehbe has also performed with artists from outside the Arab world. On June 10, 2006, Wehbe became the first artist in the Arab world to perform with rapper 50 Cent when she performed the opening act for his first concert in Lebanon, at BIEL in Beirut.

In summer 2006 she was a spokesperson for Pepsi, and worked on Pepsi ads with football star Thierry Henry which were aired on Lebanese television during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

[edit] Film career beginnings and Habibi Ana (2008–2009)

Wehbe starred in the Pepsi-produced film Sea of Stars released in early 2008, along with Carole Samaha, Ahmad el Sherif, Wael Kfoury, Brigitte Yaghi, and Ruwaida al-Mahrooqi^[11]

On July 4, 2008, Wehbe released her third studio album Habibi Ana (Arabic: حبيبي أنا, English: "My Love") which contains 15 songs including the lead single "Mosh Adra Astana". In the Middle East album sales struggled due to Haifa's lack of promotion as she was concentrating more on her acting and film career.

In 2009 Wehbe starred in Dokkan Shehata, a high-grossing Egyptian drama film. The film was produced by Khaled Youssef. It was released in June 2009 and immediately became a huge success in the Middle East whilst gaining tremendous publicity.

[edit] Baby Haifa (2010–present)

After a lengthy delay, Wehbe released a children's album titled Baby Haifa in March 2010 under Rotana Records.^[12]

Wehbe was scheduled to work on the Egyptian movie Leilet El-Baby Doll, but canceled due to her overbooked schedule. The singer will be starring in another movie with producer Muhammad Al Sabki scheduled for sometime in 2011.

In April 2010, Wehbe was featured on French DJ David Vendetta's album Vendetta on the song Yama Layali.^[13] Wehbe is working on her fifth studio album, “Bukra Bafarjeek”. In September 2011 Al Bawaba reported that Wehbe was threatening to leave her label Rotana "for neglecting her and not paying any attention to her work".^[14] Haifa is now working on releasing the album soon and her music video for "Bukra Bafarjeek".

Other works[link]

Wehbe occasionally works as a television host and has also designed her own selection of diamond jewellery.

Personal life[link]

Wehbe is a Lebanese Muslim, and she has three sisters. Wehbe's brother died at the age of 24 during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.^[15][16][17] Wehbe's daughter has been living with her father since her parents divorce. In 2008 Wehbe's daughter was married in a private ceremony. As of 2010, Zeinab Zaza and her father are living in Kuwait.

In 2005, Wehbe announced her engagement to a Saudi businessman Tariq Al-Jaffali. After only a few weeks, she and her fiancé decided to split for personal reasons and family issues.

On June 25, 2007, Wehbe survived an accident while filming a music video for the song "Hasa Ma Bena" in Lebanon. In the video, a single engine airplane was to chase Wehbe as she drove a car. However, the airplane inadvertently hit the car, taking off the front windshield of the convertible she was driving.^[18] Despite the severity of the accident, Wehbe suffered only minor cuts and bruises.

Wehbe married Egyptian businessman Ahmad Abu Husheima on April 24, 2009 in Beirut.^[12] Among the guests at the wedding party were singer Anastacia,^[19] Googoosh, Kim Kardashian, Samar Ibrahim, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Najwa Karam, Ragheb Alama, Ahlam, and Sherine.^[12]

Criticism and controversy[link]

Elissa rivalry[link]

Haifa is known for her enmity and rivalry with Lebanese singer Elissa. In 2009 Haifa compared the two singers to 'cars' by saying that Elissa is an 'old car' while she is a 'new' one. This statement was highly publicised and talked about in the media and press, causing anger between fans.^[20] Elissa refused to reply and just stated carelessly: "When someone compares me to a car, is there anything left for me to say?". This enmity stopped when Nishan had Elissa live on his show and called Haifa. Both Elissa and Haifa were surprised, but assured people that there are no problems or issues between the two singers.^[21]

Further controversy started when Haifa claimed that Elissa's perfume, "Elle D'Elissa", was supposed to be hers, but Elissa didn't reply and said that the perfume is hers and only hers yet again, Haifa and Elissa announced the love and peace between them. During the Murex d'Or 2010, after Haifa had finished her performance and accepted her award, she said that Lebanon is a country of love and that all Lebanese people love and respect each other. And to prove to people that what she was saying was true, she said "There's no problem with Elissa, and this is the proof to all people," she shook hands with Elissa and congratulated her on her success.^[21]

Allegations of racism[link]

In 2009, lyrics in one of Wehbe song's Baba Fein (from her unreleased 2010 kids album) seemed to refer to Nubians as "monkeys". Exact translation: "Where is my teddy bear and the Nubian monkey?".^[22][23] Black Egyptians accused the artist of racism and singing a song that fueled racism and discrimination against them.^[24] In 2010 a lawsuit filed against Wehbe was dropped.

Another incident occurred after the 2009 Egypt–Algeria World Cup dispute, adding to the diplomatic tension between the two countries. Wehbe went on to make statements that she would not be performing in Algeria anytime soon, because Algerians "...wouldn't understand her music". Algerian officials and many Algerians responded to Wehbe's statements stating she would not be welcome in Algeria anyway.^[25] Algeria's cultural minister stated that Wehbe would be banned from performing in Algeria for insulting Algeria and the Algerian people regardless of whether she apologizes.^[26]

Wehbe went on to explain her initial comments to Lebanese host Tony Khalife, saying that she didn't mean to offend Algerians or Algeria as a country but was condemning the actions of a few Algerians during the match. She then added saying: "I couldn’t help it but cry when I saw the blood of an Egyptian woman on the stadium!".^[27]

Political views[link]

During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, she left her home, in Verdun, Beirut and moved to Egypt for the duration of the conflict.^[9] In a concert in the Lebanese town of Jounieh, Wehbe congratulated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for his stand against Israel during the war.^[16]

In a further interview with Reuters, Wehbe stated that Israel attacked Lebanese civilians intentionally while Hezbollah attacked only military targets:

I believe the whole world knows who started this war and who aggressed on whose land. There isn't a war that starts from nothing and he who begins is the unjust one.^[28]

Wehbe also refused to perform at any concert during the 34 days of the war including fundraisers, saying that there were more ways than one to show support for Lebanon.^[16]

Wehbe has also urged fans to support Japanese victims of the Tsunami.^[29]

2007 Lebanon elections and concert in Beirut[link]

Wehbe wore a shirt with the face of President Michel Suleiman during her performance at the election celebrations in downtown Beirut.

Lebanese newspapers said scores went onstage when Haifa appeared, despite attempts by police to prevent them from reaching the pop star.^[30] She also sang the Fairuz classic "Ya Hawa Beirut" ("Oh my love Beirut"), which is nostalgic song written during the Lebanese Civil War that reminisces on the "Glorious Days" of Lebanon prior to 1975.

Image[link]

Wehbe was ranked 49th in the 2006 Edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women by the website AskMen.com.^[31] Wehbe was also ranked number 6 in the AskMen.com's 10 Hottest Arab Women article.

Some in the more conservative Arab countries deem her revealing outfits scandalous. One Bahraini member of parliament called her a sexual singer who spoke with her body, not her voice. Wehbe said she was aware of the efforts to ban her from performing at the concert but had chosen to ignore their attempts to silence her.

"I am a performer and not a politician," Haifa said. "I know my fans want me I am there for them. I am not concerned with the other issues."^[32]

In April 2008, the Islamist-dominated parliament of Bahrain passed a motion urging the government to ban Haifa Wehbe's show in the country.^[33] As a result of the motion, Wehbe performed in Bahrain with more modest dress, wearing a long green gown with a low V-neckline during the performance.^[33]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Houwa El-Zaman (2002)
• Baddi Eesh (2005)
• Habibi Ana (2008)
• Malikat Jamal Al Kawn (2012)

Other albums[link]

• Baby Haifa (2010)

Soundtracks[link]

• 2008: Sea of Stars

Singles[link]

• "Agoul ahwak"
• "Wa7di"
• "Ma Sar"
• "Ya 7ayat albi"
• "Bedi 3ich"
• "Ragab"
• "Ana Haifa"
• "Fakerni" (radio only single)
• "Ma Khadtesh Bali" (radio only single)
• "Leik el wawa"
• "Naughty" (radio single only)
• Tigi El Zay
• "Mosh Adras Astana"
• "Ma t2oulch el 7ad"
• "Hasa Ma Bena"
• "Yaben el Halal"
• "Sanara"
• "Baba Fein/Lama El Shams Trawa7
• "Enta Tany"
• "80 Million Ehsas"
• "Yama Layali"
• "Boukra Bafarjik"
• "Ya Majnoun"

Concert Tours[link]

2011

• January 29- Amsterdam, Netherlands (TBA)

2010

• November 18- Al Massa Hotel, Cairo
• November 17- Movempic Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon
• July 31 – Movempic Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon
• July 24 – Chouf, Lebanon
• July 22 – Batroun, Lebanon
• July 16–19 – Casablanca, Morocco
• July 4 – PRIVATE CONCERT, Monaco
• July 2 – Zahle Festival, Zahle, Lebanon
• May 8 – Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut
• March 13 – Houston, Texas

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

• Sea of Stars (produced by Pepsi) – released July, 2008
• Dokkan Shihata – June 2009

Television[link]

• Al Wadi (2005) – reality television show based on the French reality show La Ferme Célébrités.

Awards[link]

• 2002: The "Golden Lion" Award in Egypt.^[10]
• 2004: Best Young Female Arab singer in Egypt.^[34]
• 2005: The Oscar for "ninashnash" for her song Baddi Eesh from her second album.^[10]
• 2005: The "Murex d'Or" award with the title "Best Artist of the Year".^[10]
• 2006: The "Murex d'Or" award with the title "Best Artist of the Year".^[10]
• 2009: The "Murex d'Or" award with title "Most Popular Lebanese Singer"^[35]
• 2010: The "Murex d'Or" award with the title "Best singer actress"
• 2010: The "ART" Award for her role in her first Egyptian Film "Dokkan Shehata"
• 2011: World's Most Desirable Woman List No. 49 Rank^[36]
• 2011: Most beautiful Arabian model cum actress list Ranked #2^[36]
• 2011: Murex d'Or best song award, for "Yama Layaly."^[37]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Arab youth revel in pop revolution by Sebastian Usher, May 21, 2007, BBC

External links[link]

• Most Desirable Arabian:Haifa Wehbe
• Haifa Wehbe.com: Official website
• Haifa Fans: Official FanClub
• Haifa Wehbe Music Videos
• Haifa's Official Fanpage